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La  Peyrouse  and  De  L' Angle  in  the  house  uf  the  Portuguese  Governor. 


THE    STORY 

OF 

LA   PEYROUSE. 

*  aatt 


WITH    ENGRAVINGS. 


NEW  YORK: 

J.    P.    PEASLEE. 

1835. 


Entered,  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  J835,  by 
J.  P.  PEASLEE, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  New  York. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

Address  to  the  reader.  Birth  and  early  propensities  of  La  Peyrouse. 
He  goes  to  sea.  Is  taken  prisoner  by  the  English.  Is  liberated,  and 
recaptured.     His  enterprise  in  America.         ....  9 

CHAPTER    II. 

La  Peyrouse  returns  to  France.  Goes  to  India.  Marries.  Captain 
Cook.  A  voyage  of  discovery  planned.  La  Peyrouse  is  to  conduct 
it.    Sails.    Goes  to  Madeira,  TenerifFe,  and  reaches  La  Trinidada.    21 

CHAPTER    III. 

Visit  at  Trinidada.  The  island  and  its  inhabitants.  Anecdote  of  Ran- 
dolph. A  tempest.  Arrival  and  stay  at  St.  Catharine.  Departure. 
A  storm.     Search  for  the  Isle  Grande  given  up.  32 

CHAPTER    IV. 

The  weather.  Birds  shot.  They  pass  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  Arrival 
at  the  harbor  near  the  city  of  Conception.  An  account  of  their  visit 
at  this  place;   its  inhabitants,  &c.     Departure  from  the  city.     -       44 

CHAPTER    V. 

Sport  of  the  whales.  Easter  island.  The  natives.  The  place.  Thefts 
of  the  Indians.  Vegetable  productions.  Statues.  The  burying- 
ground.     A  native's  belief.     Departure  from  the  island.     -  54 

CHAPTER    VI. 

Passage  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Arrival.  The  hogs  thrown  into  the 
water.     The  Indians.     The  island.     Departure  from  Moree.     -       67 


b  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VII. 

The  ships  steer  northward.  A  mill  made.  Signs  of  the  N.  W.  coast 
appear.  The  arrival.  View  of  the  coast.  The  ships  anchor  near 
the  coast.     Adventures  here.     Natives  seen.     -         -         -         -78 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

The  ships  pass  Cape  Fairweather.  They  enter  a  bay.  Landing  on  the 
island.  The  natives.  A  tomb.  Thefts  of  the  Indians.  One  of  their 
games.    Vegetable,  animal  and  mineral  productions  of  the  region.     88 

CHAPTER    IX. 

The  mountains.  The  artful  Indians  steal  the  officers'  clothing,  &c. 
The  island  purchased.  The  bottle  and  medal  buried.  Description  of 
the  bay. 101 

CHAPTER   X. 

Three  boats  go  out.  Two  are  lost,  and  all  the  men  in  them  drowned. 
A  cenotaph  erected.     The  frigates  leave  the  place.  -         -         110 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Cross  Sound.  Cape  Enganno.  Ischirikow  Bay  named.  Islands 
named.  Birds  seen.  Cape  Hector  named.  Nootka  Sound  passed. 
Neckar's  Isles  named.  M  on  terry.  The  Pelican.  Condition  of  the 
Californias. 120 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Mode  of  government  and  living  of  the  Californians.  Their  worship. 
Punishment.    Dress.    Hunting.    Burials.    Fighting.    Games.         132 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

Natural  productions  of  California.  Gifts  of  the  French.  Departure 
from  Monterry.     Birds.     Isle  Neckar.  -  142 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

The  weather.  Birds.  A  reef  of  rocks.  Assumption  island.  A  leak 
in  the  ship.  The  Chinese  coast.  Arrival  at  Macao;  reception;  the 
place.  - 151 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER    XV. 
Macao.     Its   inhabitants,   government,  &c.     A  Chinese  cheat  detected. 
Departure  from  Macao.     Marivelle.     Its  odd  looking  village.     Con- 
dition of  the  place.     Antelopes,  birds,  &c.     Departure.     A  bad  pilot. 
Arrival  at  Cavite. 162 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Visit  to  Manilla.  Cavite.  Manilla.  Luconia.  Several  other  islands. 
Sickness  of  the  French  at  Manilla.  Chinese  sailors  shipped.  De- 
parture from  Cavite.  Approach  to  Formosa.  The  bay  of  Fort 
Zealand  seen. 173 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

War  at  Formosa.  Chinese  fishermen  hailed.  They  cannot  make  them- 
selves understood.  The  armies  and  the  Chinese  fleet  seen.  The 
Pescadore  isles  passed.  A  thunder  storm.  Approach  to  the  Bashee 
isles.  Other  isles  seen.  A  visit  from  Indians  at  the  Kumi  islands. 
Quulpeart.     Story  of  a  wreck  near  it.     Straits  of  Corea  entered.     183 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Aspect  of  Corea.  Boats  with  matting  sails.  Isle  Dagelet.  Japanese 
vessels  seen.  Joosti-Simi  seen.  Approach  to  the  coast  of  Tartary. 
Appearance  of  the  coast.  The  sea  looks  like  land.  Table  Mountain 
named.  A  bay  discovered  and  named.  The  ships  anchor  in  it.  Des- 
cription of  this  place.     Wild  beasts  seen.     Trees  and  flowers.        194 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Adventures  at  Bay  of  Terni.  Interesting  discoveries.  Ruined  huts. 
A  Tartarian  tomb  found,  and  examined.  Its  contents.  Animals  of 
the  place.  Burying  the  bottle.  Departure  from  the  bay.  Running 
along  the  coast.  Another  bay  visited.  The  hut  of  hunters.  An 
exchange,  no  robbery.  The  dredge.  A  great  island  discovered.  Its 
natives  seen.  -"       -         -         -         -  203 

CHAPTER    XX. 

Visit  to  the  island.  Scene  at  the  huts.  An  interview  with  the  islanders. 
A  description  of  them.  A  second  interview.  The  island  called 
Tchoka.  Kindness  of  the  natives,  &c.  Description  of  a  dwelling. 
Two  Tartars.  The  frigates  leave  the  bay,  after  calling  it  Baie  de 
L'Angle.     Another  island  visited.  -  214 


3  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XX T. 
A  remarkable  peak.  A  fishing  excursion.  Landing  at  a  Tartar  village; 
the  place;  the  people.  Their  treatment.  Houses  of  the  Orchys; 
their  tombs.  Personal  description ;  dress;  religion.  Receiving  and 
bestowing  gifts.  Things  found.  Departure  from  the  Orchys'  town. 
Cape  Crillon. 225 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

Mareckan  isle  seen.  Channel  between  the  Kuriles.  Remarks  and  a 
review  of  the  voyage.  Course  to  Kamscbatka.  Arrival,  entertain- 
ment and  adventures  at  Kamscbatka.  A  ball  given.  Letters  re- 
ceived. Story  of  an  exile.  Papers  sent  to  France.  Departure  from 
Kamschatka. 238 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

The  Navigator's  Isles  seen.  Visit  from  the  natives.  Their  traffic.  A 
beautiful  dove.  Maouna.  The  natives.  Scenes  at  the  island.  An 
affray  with  the  Indians.     A  second  visit  from  the  islanders.       -      251 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

The  French  revisit  the  island.  Are  attacked,  and  many  of  them  killed 
by  the  Indians.  Two  boats  seized  and  kept.  The  frigates  sail. 
Oyalava.  The  town  and  the  people.  Many  isles  and  the  natives 
seen.  Storms.  Tongataboo,  Course  to  Botany  Bay.  Arrival.  Last 
accounts  of  the  ships.  -------         263 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

Search  made  for  the  ships.  The  probable  place  where  they  were  lost 
discovered.     Concluding  remarks. 278 


STORY  OF  LA  PEYROUSE 


CHAPTER  I. 


Address  to  the  reader.  Birth  and  early  propensities  of 
La  Peyrouse.  He  goes  to  sea.  Is  taken  prisoner  by 
the  English.  Is  liberated,  and  recaptured.  His  en- 
terprise in  America. 

John  Francis  Galoupe  De  La  Peyrouse  was 
born  at.  Albi,  in  France,  May,  1741.  His 
father  was  a  wealthy  and  respectable  mer- 
chant in  that  place. 

From  early  childhood,  the  little  La  Peyrouse 
manifested  a  great  spirit  of  adventure  and  en- 
terprise; and  as  he  grew  older,  it  was  plainly 
seen,  that  the  whole  bent  of  his  inclinations 
was  towards  the  sea. 

His  father,  therefore,  seeing  that  his  son's 
heart  was  fixed  on  the   ocean,  and  that  his 


10  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

desires  were  for  roaming  to  foreign  climes, 
directed  his  education  so  as  to  fit  him  for  a 
nautical  life,  in  case  of  his  wishing  to  pursue 
it,  after  he  had  drank  the  first  cup  of  bitters 
which  old  Neptune  never  fails  to  administer, 
sooner  or  later,  to  those  who  entrust  them- 
selves to  his  power. 

La  Peyrouse  entered,  at  the  early  age  of 
fifteen,  as  midshipman,  in  the  French  navy. 
He  was  active  and  energetic  in  the  service; 
and  showed  great  fortitude  and  presence  of 
mind  in  the  engagements  with  the  British, 
then  at  war  with  France. 

In  consequence  of  the  refusal  of  the  French 
commander  to  salute  the  British  flag,  La 
Belle  Poule,  the  ship  in  which  our  young  hero 
sailed,  was  captured,  and  he  carried  a  prisoner 
of  war,  to  England. 

Here  he  remained  a  year  and  a  half,  which 
time  he   employed  in  acquiring   the  English 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


11 


Capture  of  La  Belle  Poule 


12  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

language,  and  such  other  knowledge  as  the 
situation  gave  him  the  opportunity  of  obtaining. 

For,  he  was  strongly  impressed  with  the 
feeling  that  his  time  must  all  be  made  use  of  in 
such  a  way,  as  to  turn  to  some  good  account, 
either  to  himself  or  some  of  the  rest  of  man- 
kind. 

On  an  exchange  cf  prisoners,  La  Peyrouse 
returned  to  his  country,  and  afterwards  engag- 
ed in  its  service,  on  board  the  French  admiral's 
flag  ship,  La  Ville  de  Paris.  In  this  he  was 
re-captured,  on  the  memorable  12th  of  April, 
1782. 

But,  these  misfortunes,  though  they  re- 
tarded the  promotion  of  La  Peyrouse,  could 
not  crush  his  spirit.  His  mind  was  like  the 
ball,  which,  the  harder  it  is  thrown  upon  the 
earth,  is  sure  to  rebound  the  higher. 

There  was  a  buoyancy  in  it,  that  kept  it 
swimming  when  others  would  have  sunk;  and 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  13 

the  more  it  was  tried,  the  more  it  was  strength- 
ened to  bear  trials. 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind,  that,  during  our 
revolutionary  war,  France,  as  our  ally  against 
Great  Britain,  sent  out  her  forces  to  help  us. 
It  is  from  that  time,  that  the  name  of  La  Fay- 
ette is  rendered  hallowed  to  every  American 
and  philanthropic  ear. 

I  have  said  that  our  hero,  La  Peyrouse,  was 
also  here,  doing  what  he  could  to  serve  us, 
against  the  English  at  Hudson's  Bay.  He 
came  out  in  a  ship  of  war,  called  the  Sceptre, 
of  seventy-four  guns,  accompanied  by  two 
other  frigates  of  thirty-six  guns  each. 

This  little  squadron  contained  about  two 
hundred  and  ninety  men,  two  eight-inch  mor- 
tars, three  hundred  bombs,  and  four  cannon. 
On  the  31st  of  May,  1782,  they  sailed  from 
Cape  Francois,  and  entered  Hudson's  Bay  on 
the  17th  of  June,  with  the  purpose  of  attack- 
ing the  British  settlement,  in  that  place. 


14  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  taken 
much  care  to  have  their  factories  well  fortified 
and  supplied  with  stores,  artillery,  &c,  but 
they  were  poorly  garrisoned.  Their  governor 
might,  however,  have  stood  out  much  longer 
than  he  did,  had  he  considered  the  difficulties 
the  French  had  to  encounter,  in  a  strange 
land,  on  perilous  waters;  and  in  an  inhospita- 
ble climate,  with  so  small  forces. 

Perhaps  I  cannot  give  an  account  of  their 
proceedings,  or  finish  this  chapter  so  well  in 
my  own  words,  as  by  a  quotation  from  an  old 
English  work,  entitled  "  Naval  and  Military 
Memoirs,"  which  speaks  of  the  event  thus: 

"The  French  commodore  had  great  merit 
in  persevering  in  his  design,  and  overcoming 
so  many  obstacles  as  daily  presented  them- 
selves. 

"  His  squadron  was  without  a  pilot,  in  a 
very  intricate  navigation,  in  which  the  ships 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  15 

were  often  in  great  danger  of  being  crushed 
by  the  floating  ice,  and  frequently  enveloped 
in  such  dense  fogs,  that  they  were  obliged  to 
anchor. 

"Nor  did  they  escape  without  injury.  The 
ice  had  greatly  injured  the  bows  of  the  frigate, 
and  nearly  deprived  the  Sceptre  of  her  rudder. 

"After  many  hair-breadth  escapes,  they  at 
length  got  sight  of  Churchill,  or  Prince  of 
Wales7  Fort,  in  the  evening  of  the  8th  of 
August. 

"  The  next  day,  they  approached  within  a 
mile  and  a  half  of  the  fort,  sounding  all  the 
way.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  10th  they 
landed  their  troops,  marched  towards  the  fort, 
and  sent  an  officer  with  a  flag  of  truce,  re- 
quiring the  commandant  to  surrender. 

"It  would  appear  from  his  conduct,  that  he 
was  panic-struck ;  for  he  made  no  terms,  but 
immediately  surrendered  at  discretion. 


16  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

"  Here  La  Peyrouse  got  ample  information 
of  the  weak  state  of  the  garrison,  at  York  fort. 
The  commandant  of  Prince  of  Wales'  fort,  had 
not  even  the  precaution  to  destroy  his  papers, 
or  to  despatch  an  express  through  the  woods, 
to  inform  him  that  the  enemy  was  at  hand  ; 
though  he  might  have  easily  done  this  by  the 
Indians,  who  were  strongly  attached  to  the 
British. 

"  The  French  plundered  the  place,  demol- 
ished the  works,  set  fire  to  the  houses,  and 
sailed,  on  the  11th,  for  Nelson's  river. 

"  After  a  fatiguing  and  dangerous  voyage, 
they  got  sight  of  the  entrance  of  the  river,  on 
the  20th,  and  came  to  anchor,  about  five  miles 
from  the  land. 

"By  means  of  boats,  which  La  Peyrouse  had 
brought  from  Prince  of  Wales'  fort,  he  was 
enabled  to  sound  the  river,  on  an  island  of 
which  York  fort  was  built ;  and  as  soon  as  the 


STORY    OF    LA    rEYROUSE.  17 

tide  favored,  he  weighed  anchor,  and  entered 
Port  Nelson. 

"  The  weather  on  the  21st  being  favorable, 
he  landed  his  troops,  who  began  their  route 
for  York  fort,  before  which  they  appeared  on 
the  23d,  much  fatigued  and  exhausted  by  their 
march.  The  whole  country  through  which 
they  had  passed,  was  very  rough,  being  inter- 
spersed with  woods,  thickets  and  bogs.  The 
way  had  been  so  difficult  to  pass,  that  a  whole 
day  was  spent  in  going  seven  miles  ;  and  nei- 
ther mortars  nor  cannon  could  be  transported 
with  them. 

"  This  body  of  troops,  when  before  the  fort, 
were  twenty-seven  miles  from  their  ships, 
that  were  anchored  in  a  place  which  would  not 
afford  them  much  shelter  from  a  boisterous 
sea,  at  a  dangerous  season  of  the  year. 

"  Their  ships  could  not,  therefore,  easily  co- 
operate with  them,  unless  the  weather  should 
2 


18  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

prove  extremely  favorable,  and  they  could  re- 
ceive no  supplies,  except  what  came  from  their 
vessels. 

"  Cold,  hunger  and  fatigue,  would,  of  course, 
be  working  hourly  in  favor  of  the  garrison, 
which  consisted  of  sixty  British  and  twelve 
Indians,  who,  though  few  in  number,  were, 
nevertheless,  in  good  spirits,  and  amply  sup- 
plied with  every  necessary,  while  the  fort  was 
capable  of  defence,  and  the  approaches  to  it 
extremely  difficult. 

"The  governor,  notwithstanding  all  these 
circumstances  in  his  favor,  resolved  not  to  de- 
fend the  place.  He  would  not  even  permit 
the  guns  on  the  ramparts  to  be  fired,  when 
the  enemy's  troops  were  quite  exposed  to 
them,  as  they  advanced  towards  the  fort. 

"Without  waiting  for  a  summons  from  the 
enemy,  he  held  out  a  white  flag  with  his  own 
hand,  which  was  answered  by  a  French  offi- 
cer, showing  his  pocket  handkerchief. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  19 

"Under  the  sanction  of  this  flag  of  truce,  a 
parley  took  place ;  and  the  governor  received 
a  summons  written  in  English. 

"  In  this  summons,  two  hours  were  granted 
him  to  consult  about  his  situation.  But  he 
made  no  use  of  this  indulgence ;  and  the  place 
was  most  ingloriously  given  up,  in  about  ten 
minutes,  without  one  officer  being  consulted, 
or  a  council  assembled. 

"  So,  this  fort,  which  might  have  withstood 
the  united  efforts  of  double  the  number  of 
those  by  whom  it  was  assailed,  in  an  attack 
with  small  arms,  was  surrendered  to  a  half- 
starved,  wretched  group  of  Frenchmen,  worn 
out  with  fatigue  and  hard  labor,  and  in  a 
country  where  they  were  entire  strangers. 

"  La  Peyrouse  treated  his  prisoners  with 
the  greatest  politeness  and  attention,  and 
made  large  presents  to  the  Indians,  of  fire- 
arms and  ammunition^  and  such  stores  as 
wrould  be  of  use  to  them. 


20  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

"  He  took  on  board  what  peltry  he  found 
in  the  fort ;  and  as  his  men  were  turning 
very  sickly,  he  set  the  factory  on  fire,  destroy- 
ed the  cannon,  blew  up  the  fortifications,  and 
sailed  clown  the  river  on  the  31st  of  August, 
the  weather  being  extremely  stormy. 

"The  first  intelligence  of  this  enterprise 
that  reached  Britain,  was,  by  one  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company's  ships,  which  was  lying 
in  Port  Nelson,  when  the  French  ships  ap- 
peared off  the  mouth  of  that  river. 

"  The  captain  of  this  ship  put  to  sea  in  the 
night,  and  arrived  at  one  of  the  Orkney  Isl- 
ands, on  the  19th  of  October." 


STORY    OF    LA    TEYROUSE.  21 


CHAPTER  II. 

La  Peyrouse  returns  to  France.  Goes  to  India.  Marries. 
Captain  Cook.  A  voyage  of  discovery  planned.  La 
Peyrouse  is  to  conduct  it.  Sails.  Goes  to  Madeiras 
Tencriffe,  and  reaches  La  Trinidada. 

We  will  now  follow  our  valiant  friend  La 
Peyrouse  from  this  country  to  his  own,  to 
which  he  proceeded,  after  the  exploits  and 
adventures  narrated  in  the  first  chapter. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  during  which 
he  had  greatly  honored  himself,  both  by  his 
valor,  as  a  naval  officer,  and  his  kindness  to 
those  who  had  fallen  into  his  power,  he  en- 
gaged as  commander  of  a  trade  ship,  and  made 
a  prosperous  voyage  to  India. 

On  his  return  from  this  voyage,  he  took  to 
himself  a  wife  ;  and,  Leonora  Montmorenci, 
the  daughter  of  a  rich  banker  of  Toulon,  was 
the  object  of  his  choice. 


22  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Leonora  was  wealthy,  accomplished,  lovely 
in  her  disposition,  and  beautiful  in  her  person. 
But  sensible  as  her  husband  was  of  all  these 
attractions,  they  were  not  sufficient  to  master 
his  love  of  adventure,  or  to  keep  him  at  home. 

We  must,  however,  give  La  Peyrouse  the 
credit  of  being  actuated  less  by  a  romantic 
wish  to  rove,  than  by  the  hope  of  making  re- 
searches and  discoveries  for  the  benefit  of 
others  ;  and  on  such  a  principle,  he  felt  willing 
to  sacrifice  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  domestic 
and  private  life,  to  the  public  good. 

Before  this  era  in  the  history  of  Europe, 
avarice,  ambition,  curiosity  and  the  love  of 
glory,  had  induced  many  adventurers  to  go 
abroad  to  the  distant  regions  of  the  earth;  but 
little  had  been  done  in  this  way,  from  really 
benevolent  motives  towards  mankind  in  gen- 
eral. But  now,  England  had  sent  out  her 
courageous  and  persevering,  vet,  unfortunate 


STORY    OF    LA    FEYROUSE.  23 

navigator,  Captain  Cook,  who  took  his  life  in 
his  hands,  to  lose  it  by  those  of  the  savage 
islanders  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  went  out 
with  the  hope,  not  only  of  bringing  home  use- 
ful knowledge,  but  also  of  carrying  it  abroad 
to  other  portions  of  the  earth,  and  other  tribes 
of  his  fellow  men. 

Cook  had  been  cut  off  in  the  midst  of  his 
usefulness,  and  France,  endeavoring  to  outdo 
England,  formed  the  plan,  under  the  reign 
and  the  auspices  of  Lewis  XVI,  of  sending 
out  a  navigator  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  round 
the  world,  who  should  complete  what  Cook 
had  left  undone  ;  he  having  been  launched  by 
the  barbarian  assassins,  upon  the  ocean  of  eter- 
nity, to  make  the  solemn  discovery  of  another 
world,  from  which  none  can  return  to  tell  us 
what  is  there. 

Lewis,  that  unfortunate  French  king,  with 
much   benevolence,    great    deliberation,    and 


24  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

sage  counsel,  planned  the  expedition,  and  La 
Peyrouse  was  fixed  on  as  the  hero  who  should 
win  the  glory  of  the  achievement  for  himself, 
and  bring  it  home,  to  shed  it  upon  his  country. 

The  chief  object  of  the  expedition  was,  an 
interchange  of  the  knowledge  of  arts,  science, 
trade,  &c.  between  the  known  and  the  un- 
known parts  of  the  world  ;  that  it  might  thus 
be  rendered  useful  to  mankind  at  large,  and  to 
present  and  future  generations. 

Two  frigates,  one  called  La  Boussale,  (the 
Compass,)  and  the  other,  UAstrolobe,  (the 
Cross-staff.)  were  selected  by  the  government 
of  France,  to  perform  the  expedition;  and  La 
Peyrouse  was  to  conduct  it. 

While  preparations  wrere  making  for  the 
voyage,  all  France  seemed  to  be  interested  in 
the  object ;  and  every  one  who  had  any  thing 
useful  to  contribute,  either  by  way  of  know- 
ledge, or  of  wealth,  seemed  desirous  of  doing 
his  part  towards  its  promotion. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  c25 

Many  who  had  nothing  else  to  bestow,  were 
very  liberal  in  giving  their  gratuitous  advice  : 
which  is  not  an  uncommon  kind  of  generosity 
even  among  those  who  have  the  more  weighty 
matter  locked  up  in  their  coffers. 

Some  people  are  exceedingly  liberal,  in  giv- 
ing their  soft,  kind  words  to  those  who  are 
destitute,  while  they  seem  to  forget  that  the 
gentle,  undulating  air  that  forms  the  sound  of 
their  speech,  can  neither  clothe  the  naked, 
feed  the  hungry,  nor  shelter  the  homeless 
wanderer. 

But,  our  adventurers  took  every  thing  be- 
stowed on  them,  in  kindness,  and  with  true 
French  politeness ;  and  many  were  the  gifts 
and  the  attentions  which  they  had,  to  draw 
forth  their  gratitude  and  put  their  graces  in 
motion. 

The  skilful  navigator  prepared  notes  ;  the 
philosopher  brought  his  books  of  philosophy 


26  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

and  natural  history ;  geographical  sketches, 
charts,  observations,  &c.  were  collected  and 
bestowed;  the  botanist  collected  his  plants 
and  seeds,  to  be  spread  on  distant  shores  ;  the 
astronomer  brought  his  observations  and  appa- 
ratus ; — in  short,  all  sorts  of  books,  implements 
of  art,  articles  of  clothing,  and  stores  for  the 
body,  as  well  as  for  the  mind,  were  collected 
together. 

When  all  was  in  readiness,  and  a  good  sup- 
ply of  such  articles  for  trade  and  presents,  as 
might  please  the  savage  tribes  on  whose  shores 
they  might  touch,  La  Peyrouse  took  the  im- 
mediate command  of  the  frigate  called  La 
Boussale,  and  his  friend  M.  De  L' Angle,  that 
of  L'Astrolobe. 

Each  vessel,  fitted  out  thus  with  its  ample 
supplies,  contained  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  among  whom  was  the  astrono- 
mer, the  draughtsman,  the  engineer,  the  min- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  27 

eralogist,  the  botanist,  the  physician,  the 
clock-maker,  and  many  other  persons  skilled 
in  various  arts  and  sciences,  all  flushed  with 
the  hope  of  gaining  knowledge  or  imparting 
it,  and  of  satisfying  the  desire  of  their  eyes  to 
see  remote  regions  of  the  globe,  from  which 
they  might  bring,  home  true  tales  of  the  won- 
ders they  had  witnessed. 

On  the  1st  day  of  August,  1785,  they  sailed 
from  the  Road  of  Brest,  and  nothing  of  con- 
sequence took  place  till  they  reached  the 
Island  of  Madeira,  on  the  15th. 

What  most  attracted  their  notice  during  this 
sail,  was,  the  uncommonly  luminous  appear- 
ance of  the  sea,  which  shone,  as  the  waves 
dashed  round  them  by  night,  like  tossing 
sheets  of  fire. 

This  phosphoric  light  is  supposed  by  phi- 
losophers, or  naturalists,  to  be  occasioned  by 
innumerable  hosts   of  minute  animal   bodies, 


28  STORY    OP    LA    PEYROUSE. 

either  animate  or  inanimate,  that  are  diffused 
in  infinite  multitudes  over  the  waters. 

But,  be  the  cause  of  this  phenomenon  what 
it  may,  it  is  a  very  beautiful  sight  to  those 
who  are  in  a  vessel  that  goes  ploughing  along 
the  deep,  to  throw  up  such  a  sparkling  path- 
way. 

I  forgot  to  mention,  that  among  other  con- 
tributors to  our  voyagers,  the  British  Board  of 
Longitude  had  lent  for  their  use,  two  dipping 
compasses,  that  had  been  used  by  Captain 
Cook,  in  his  last  expedition. 

At  Madeira  they  stopped  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  wine  for  their  voyage.  Here  they 
were  entertained  sumptuously,  by  some  Eng- 
lish gentlemen  who  were  living  on  the  Island, 
and  who  gave  them,  at  their  departure,  after 
a  visit  of  three  days,  a  handsome  present  of 
fruits,  lemon-juice,  wine,  &c. 

Their  next  course  was  to  Teneriffe,  where 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROT7SE.  29 

they  found  that  their  wines  could  be  bought  at 
a  better  rate  than  at  Madeira.  They  sailed 
for  this  place  on  the  16th,  and  on  the  19th, 
anchored  before  the  island,  on  the  road  to 
Santa  Cruz. 

They  were  detained  at  this  island  about 
ten  days ;  and  while  some  were  employed  in 
purchasing  and  taking  in  wines,  with  which 
thejT  filled  about  sixty  pipes,  which  they  had 
brought  for  the  purpose,  others  erected  an 
observatory,  from  which  they  made  several 
observations,  to  ascertain  the  exact  movement 
of  their  different  timekeepers,  and  the  bear- 
ings of  the  place. 

But,  the  experiments  made  here  with  the 
dipping  compass  did  not  succeed  at  all,  owing 
to  the  attraction  of  the  iron  ore,  with  which 
Teneriffe  abounds.  The  naturalists  and  bot- 
anists made  their  excursions,  and  procured 
some  valuable  specimens  of  vegetable  and 
mineral  kinds. 


30  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

The  engineer  endeavored  to  measure  the 
height  of  the  famous  Peak  ;  but  the  obstinate 
muleteers  whom  he  had  engaged  to  assist  him 
and  convey  his  instruments,  baggage,  &c. 
frustrated  his  plan,  by  refusing  to  go  on,  and 
he  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  object,  which 
he  had  nearly  gained. 

This  was  playing  the  Frenchman  rather  a 
serious  trick,  and  in  a  bad  and  conspicuous 
place.  A  jest  of  this  sort  could  not  have 
been  borne  very  comfortably  by  one  who  was 
toiling  to  climb  and  measure  the  height  of  the 
Peak  of  Teneriffe. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  the  frigates  sailed 
again.  La  Peyrouse,  intending  not  to  touch 
at  the  Cape  de  Verds,  on  account  of  their  un- 
nealthy  state,  aimed  at  making  next  for  the 
Isle  of  La  Trinidada. 

Soon  after  they  left  Teneriffe,  the  beauti- 
ful, clear  azure  of  the  sky  seemed  hid  from 


STORY    OF    LA    TEYROUSE.  31 

view  by  a  dull,  hazy  whiteness,  between  a  fog 
and  a  cloud,  which  puzzled  them  somewhat 
about  the  way  ;  and  the  trade  winds  obliged 
them  to  run  along,  a  much  greater  distance 
than  they  had  intended,  parallel  to  the  coast 
of  Africa. 

The  nights  during  this  time  were  clear  and 
serene,  the  fog^y  appearance  continuing  only 
from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun.  On  the 
29th  of  September  they  crossed  the  equinoctial 
line,  in  the  18th  degree  of  western  longitude. 
Here,  for  some  time,  they  were  followed  by 
man-of-war  birds,  in  great  numbers.  About 
sunset,  on  the  16th  of  October,  they  came  in 
sight  of  the  Isle  of  La  Trinidada.  The  next 
morning,  La  Peyrouse  was  surprised  to  dis- 
cover the  Portuguese  flag  floating  over  a  small 
fort  that  lay  at  the  bottom  of  an  inlet  formed 
by  the  southeast  point  of  the  Island. 


32  STORY    OF    LA   PEYROUSE. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Visit  at  Trinidada.  The  island  and  its  inhabitants.  An- 
ecdote of  Randolph.  A  tempest.  Arrival  and  stay  at 
St.  Catharine.  Departure.  A  storm.  Search  for 
the  Isle  Grande  given  up. 

On  the  morning  of  the  18th,  two  of  the 
officers  and  a  priest  took  the  pinnace,  from 
L'Astrolabe,  and  tried  to  go  on  shore  ;  but 
the  surf  ran  so  high,  and  the  boat  tossed  round 
so  helplessly,  that  its  men  must  have  been 
thrown  into  the  sea,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
aid  of  the  Portuguese,  who,  beholding  their 
danger,  from  the  shore,  came  out  to  their  relief. 

x4bout  two  hundred  men  comprised  this 
Portuguese  establishment.  They  had  come 
out  about  a  year  before,  from  Rio  Janeiro,  to 
plant  themselves  here  ;  and  they  still  received 
their  supplies  of  provisions  from  that  place. 

They  had  formed  their  settlement  in  a  hoi- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  33 

low  between  two  mountains,  that  spreads  off 
into  a  vale  about  three  hundred  fathoms  wide, 
on  the  southeast  part  of  the  island.  i 

The  object  of  these  people  seemed  more  a 
desire  to  keep  others  from  occupying  the  spot, 
than  any  hope  of  reaping  enjoyment?  from  it, 
for  themselves;  for,  the  soil  was  barren,  rocky 
and  forbidding  in  its  aspect ;  without  vegeta- 
tion, excepting  here  and  there  a  clump  of 
shrubs,  and  a  small  patch  of  verdure. 

The  Portuguese,  though  they  had  saved  the 
lives  of  their  visitants,  did  not  much  relish 
their  curiosity. 

They  would  not  permit  them  to  go  beyond 
the  beach;  and  they  were  very  ready  to  lend 
their  assistance  to  the  Frenchmen  in  getting 
off  their  boat,  and  in  helping  them  safely  and 
speedily  to  return  to  their  vessel. 

Thus,  they  at  once  manifested  their  hu- 
manity, and  their  aversion  to  be  approached, 
3 


34  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

and  having  their  affairs  pried  into  by  inquisi- 
tive strangers. 

Somewhat  such  a  spirit  was  once  shown  by 
the  late  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoake,  when  a 
gentleman  meeting  him  at  a  hotel,  and  wish- 
ing, probably,  from  motives  of  curiosity,  to 
make  his  acquaintance,  said  to  him,  by  way 
of  introduction,  "  Sir,  I  have  passed  your  fine 
plantation  in  Virginia."  "  Sir,"  replied  the 
indignant  and  haughty  descendant  of  Pocha- 
hontas,  "  You  are  welcome  to  pass  it  as  often 
as  you  please." 

After  this  kind  repulse  at  La  Trinidada,  the 
frigates  sailed  the  same  day  to  the  westward, 
in  search  of  the  Isle  of  Ascension.  But  not 
being  able  to  find  the  island,  La  Peyrouse 
concluded  it  was  not  in  existence,  yet  had  he 
taken  a  little  different  direction,  he  would  soon 
have  found  the  object  of  his  search. 

On  the  evening  of  October  25th,  a  violent 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  35 

thunder  storm  came  on.  The  skies  were 
veiled  in  blackness,  and  the  atmosphere  sur- 
rounding the  frigates,  seemed  turned  to  sheets 
of  fire  to  envelope  them. 

While  the  thunder  pealed,  the  lightning 
streamed  from  every  point  of  the  horizon,  and 
the  lambent  flame  of  the  will-o'-the-wisp 
settled  on  the  point  of  the  electrical  con- 
ductor of  La  Bousrale,  and  on  the  mast-head  of 
L'Astrolabe. 

But  amid  all  this  terrible  display  of  the 
power  of  Him  who  "sitteth  upon  the  circle 
of  the  heavens,"  his  goodness  and  protection 
were  also  made  manifest  to  those  who  wit- 
nessed it,  among  the  restless  billows,  on  which 
their  ships  were  tossed  like  egg-shells  to  and 
fro,  without  receiving  much  injury,  or  any  life 
being  lost. 

After  this  violent  tempest  subsided,  the 
weather  continued  stormy,  and  foggy  till  the 


36 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE, 


The  two  vessels  in  a  storm. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  37 

voyagers  reached  St.  Catharine's,  near  the 
coast  of  Brazil,  on  the  6th  of  November. 

Here  they  anchored  in  a  depth  of  about 
seven  fathoms  of  water,  over  a  bottom  of  mud- 
dy sand,  between  the  island  and  the  main 
land. 

My  readers  must  all  be  so  familiar  with  the 
situation,  form,  and  extent  of  the  island  of 
St.  Catharine,  as  laid  down  in  the  popular 
geographies  of  the  day,  that  it  is  not  needful 
for  me  to  go  into  particulars  on  these  points. 

Our  adventurers  found  the  surface  of  the 
interior  of  the  island  overspread  with  forests 
of  lofty  evergreens,  between  whose  trunks 
briars  and  creeping  plants  were  thickly  inter- 
woven with  the  underwood;  and  among  these 
were  lurking  a  race  of  serpents  whose  bite  was 
certain  death. 

In  other  parts  of  the  island,  fruits,  corn  and 
other  vegetables   were   growing   with   great 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


luxury  and  abundance,  almost  without  cultiva- 
tion, owing  to  the  natural  fertility  of  the  soil. 

The  habitations  bordered  the  sea  shore,  and 
were  surrounded  by  orange  groves,  and  fra- 
grant shrubs  of  various  kinds,  whose  golden 
fruits,  shining  blossoms,  and  glossy,  green 
leaves,  of  a  variety  of  forms  and  textures,  de- 
lighted the  eyes  of  the  newly-come  beholders, 
while  they  breathed  in  their  balmy  odors,  and 
tasted  the  variety  of  the  fruits. 

The  first  inhabitants  of  this  island  were 
fugitives  from  the  Brazils.  About  the  year 
1740,  the  court  of  Lisbon  formed  for  it  a  reg- 
ular government  under  which  was  included, 
also,  a  part  of  the  adjacent  continent. 

Among  other  novelties,  our  voyagers  found 
many  beautiful,  and  musical  birds  at  St.  Cath- 
arine, of  which  they  had  never  heard,  or  seen 
any  account. 

The  waters  around  the  island  were  thickly 


STORY    OF    LA    FEYROUSE.  39 

peopled  with  whales,  and  afforded  an  oppor- 
tunity of  great  gain  to  those  who  could  have 
the  freedom  of  fishing  "  on  their  own  hook" 
But,  as  the  whale-fishery  belonged  to  the 
crown,  though  about  four  hundred  whales 
were  annually  taken  in  these  waters,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  island  reaped  little  or  no 
advantage  from  it.  The  oil,  spermaceti  and 
whalebone  were  all  transported  to  Lisbon. 

While  nature  was  so  busy  and  so  bountiful, 
on  the  island,  man,  as  it  is  too  often  the  case, 
under  such  circumstances,  became  indolent, 
and,  of  course,  poor  and  miserable. 

The  people  of  this  place,  finding  that  the 
generous  earth  would  produce  almost  sponta- 
neously, wherewith  to  supply  their  wants,  at 
least,  so  far  as  eating  and  drinking  were  con- 
cerned, felt  little  call  for  their  own  exertions ; 
and,  consequently,  sunk  into  that  state  of  ease 
and  inactivity,  which  is  sure  to  paralyse  the 


40  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

energies  of  both  body  and  mind,  becoming, 
thereby,  the  mother  of  poverty,  uselessness 
and  unhappiness. 

But  our  adventurers  were  received  and  en- 
tertained with  much  kindness  and  politeness, 
by  the  governor  of  this  place,  and  his  people. 

Their  stay  here  was  prolonged  beyond  their 
expectations,  on  account  of  adverse  winds ; 
and  as  all  were  in  good  health  and  spirits, 
they  amused  themselves  by  going  on  fowling 
excursions,  and  making  observations  of  various 
kinds  during  the  day ;  and  at  evening  they 
usually  joined  in  a  dance,  for  the  sake  of  ex- 
ercise. A  Frenchman,  we  all  know,  will  for- 
sake even  his  country,  before  he  will  give  up 
his  dance. 

Provisions  at  St.  Catharine,  were  found 
very  cheap  ;  and  the  visiters  availed  them- 
selves of  the  opportunity  of  laying  in  a  fresh 
store  of  them. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  41 

A  large  ox  might  be  bought  for  eight  dollars, 
a  stout  hog  for  four,  a  pair  of  noble  turkeys 
for  one,  and  five  hundred  bright  golden  or- 
anges for  three  shillings. 

Before  they  left  the  island,  as  there  was  a 
prospect  of  dark,  foggy  weather,  and  a  bois- 
terous sea  to  traverse,  La  Peyrouse  gave  the 
commander  of  L9Astrolabe  a  new  set  of  sig- 
nals, and  fixed  on  a  certain  place  where  they 
should  both  direct  their  course,  so  as  to  meet, 
in  case  of  their  getting  separated  and  driven 
from  each  other  on  the  way. 

Before  their  departure,  they  made  up  a 
packet  of  papers,  letters,  &c,  and  left  them 
with  the  governor,  who  promised  to  have  them 
forwarded  to  the  French  consul,  at  Lisbon,  for 
him  to  send  them  to  their  home. 

At  day-break,  on  the  19th  of  November, 
they  weighed  anchor,  and  bade  adieu  to  St. 
Catharine,  which,  with  all  her  attendant  train 


42  STORY   OF    LA   PEYROUSE. 

of  islets,  was  far  behind  them,  and  out  of 
sight,  before  the  evening. 

For  several  days  they  had  good  weather; 
but  on  the  28th  a  violent  storm  came  on,  and 
the  ocean  threw  itself  up  into  mountains  on 
every  side.  But  these  were  far  from  being 
steadfast.  They  showed  that  He  was  among 
them,  who  says  He  will  thresh  the  mountains 
till  He  beats  them  small,  and  make  the  hills 
fly  as  chaff  before  Him. 

They  rolled  and  tumbled  and  dashed  to- 
gether, only  to  re-collect  themselves,  and 
swell  and  rise  with  greater  pride  and  fury. 
The  ships  were  not  swift  sailers,  to  outride 
the  storm  ;  but  they  were  stanch,  and  they 
bore  their  beating  nobly.  In  this  instance  the 
battle  was  to  the  strong,  though  the  race  was 
not  to  the  swift. 

The  storm  abated ;  and  the  sea,  grown  wea- 
ry with  raging,  became  calmer.     The  object 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  43 

of  La  Peyrouse  was  now  to  find  the  Isle 
Grande,  of  his  maps  ;  and  for  some  time  he 
felt  that  they  might  be  near  it,  as  they  were 
in  the  parallel  of  latitude  wherein  the  isle  was 
said  to  lie,  and  there  were  seen  floating  about 
the  vessels,  masses  of  sea-weed  and  other 
things,  while  many  birds  of  the  Albatros  and 
Petrel  kind  pursued  them. 

After  standing  upon  different  tacks,  till  the 
24th  of  December,  without  finding  the  isle, 
they  were  obliged  to  give  up  the  search,  for 
fear  of  being  too  late  in  passing  the  dreaded 
Cape  Horn. 


44  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


The  weather.  Birds  shot.  They  pass  the  Straits  of 
Magellan.  Arrival  at  the  harbor  near  the  city  of  Coil' 
ception.  Jin  account  of  their  visit  at  this  place;  its 
inhabitants,  fyc.     Departure  from  the  city. 

When  January  came  on,  the  weather  was 
much  like  that  of  July,  on  the  coast  of  Eu- 
rope. The  winds,  for  several  days,  were 
north-east  and  south-west.  These  changes 
were  foretold  by  the  appearance  of  the  sky, 
that  looked  cloudy;  or  the  air,  that  became 
foggy,  when  the  wind  was  about  to  veer  from 
south-west,  to  west. 

In  about  two  hours,  the  wind  usually  went 
to  the  north-west.  For  sixty-six  days,  there 
were  not  more  than  eighteen  hours  of  easterly 
wind.  The  weather  was  fine  and  the  sea 
smooth,  and  the  officers,  for  several  days  in 
succession,  sailed  out  in  the  boats,  and  shot 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  45 

great  numbers  of  albatrosses  and  petrels  of 
various  species. 

On  the  14th  of  January  1786,  they  struck 
ground  on  the  coast  of  Patagonia.  But  as 
the  Island  of  Juan  Fernandez  was  the  first 
place  at  which  La  Peyrouse  proposed  stop- 
ping, they  passed  on  with  all  possible  despatch, 
to  the  Straits  of  Magellan ;  through  which  they 
drifted  on  before  a  fresh  current  of  wind,  while 
they  saw  fires  kindled  on  the  shore  by  the 
savages,  to  invite  them  to  land ;  and  on  the  9th 
of  February,  they  found  themselves  opposite 
to  the  western  entrance  of  the  straits,  on  the 
way  to  Juan  Fernandez,  in  the  South  Sea. 

But,  on  looking  to  the  state  of  their  stores, 
they  found  it  expedient  to  give  up  visiting  the 
Island,  and  concluded  to  make  for  the  Spanish 
settlement  of  Conception,  on  the  coast  of  Chili. 

On  the  26th,  they  saw  the  Island  of  Mocha, 
about  fifty  leagues  from  Conception,  in  a  south- 


46  STORY    OF    LA   PEYROUSE. 

em  direction.  The  wind  now  grew  adverse, 
strong  and  fickle;  and,  afraid  of  being  made 
too  much  its  sport,  and  drifted  where  they  did 
not  wish  to  be,  they  made  for  the  land. 

They  were  now  obliged  to  keep  tacking, 
and  heaving  the  lead,  while  they  looked  in  vain 
through  their  glasses  to  discover  the  city  where 
they  wished  to  go.  But  it  was  not  long  before 
pilots  came  on  board  and  explained  the  reason 
why  they  could  not  discover  the  city  of  Con- 
ception. 

They  said  the  old  city  had  been  laid  in 
ruins  by  an  earthquake,  in  1751,  and  that  the 
new  one  was  built  about  three  leagues  inland, 
on  the  banks  of  the  river  Biobio. 

The  ruins  of  the  old  town  were  still  to  be 
seen,  as  they  entered  the  bay,  which  they 
found  a  very  fine  harbor. 

The  new  town  contained  about  ten  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  was   the    seat   of  the 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  47 

Bishop,  and  of  the  Major-general,  commander 
of  all  the  forces  of  the  colony. 

It  contained  the  Episcopal  cathedral,  and 
all  the  other  houses  for  religious  purposes. 

Except  the  Island  of  Chiloe,  and  a  small 
district  round  Vaklivia,  all  the  country  south, 
from  the  Biobio,  was  inhabited  by  Indians, 
who  were  always  at  war  with  the  Spaniards. 

The  soil  of  the  territory  surrounding  the 
settlement  was  exceedingly  fertile.  The  plains 
were  covered  with  luxurious  herbage,  upon 
which  innumerable  flocks  and  herds  were 
feasting  ;  and  the  vineyards  were  fair  and 
flourishing. 

The  climate  was  found  to  be  very  healthy, 
and  many  people  lived  to  extreme  old  age. 

In  the  rivers  in  the  bishoprick  of  Concep- 
tion, small  particles  of  gold  were  found.  This 
the  people  obtained  by  taking  the  sand  and 
sifting  and  washing  it. 


48  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

About  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  was 
the  total  amount  of  the  gold,  then  gathered 
annually  from  the  rivers  within  this  bishoprick. 

The  houses  of  the  city  were  very  simply 
furnished.  The  most  valuable  and  splendid 
article  of  a  lady's  dress,  here,  was  a  plaited 
petticoat  of  gold  or  silver  stuff,  of  the  old- 
fashioned  manufacture  of  Lyons. 

The  city  was  well  peopled  with  monks  and 
nuns,  whose  religion,  it  would  seem,  did  not 
do  much  towards  purifying  the  moral  atmos- 
phere of  the  place,  particularly  among  the 
lower  classes,  as  these  people  were  dishonest, 
and  otherwise  habitually  immoral. 

The  higher  classes,  were  more  virtuous. 
They  were  fond  of  dancing  and  entertainments. 

Like  the  Chinese,  the  women  cramped  their 
feet  with  little  shoes,  to  stint  their  growth. 
Their  hair  was  platted  in  small  braids,  and 
hung  down  upon  the  back.     A  bodice  of  the 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  49 

same  shining  stuff  of  the  petticoat,  was  worn 
with  it,  and  over  this,  a  muslin  cloak.  On 
going  into  the  streets  or  the  fields,  a  woollen 
cloak  was  superadded.  The  females  were 
pretty  and  polite. 

Our  adventurers  found  that  the  Indians  of 
Chili  had  become  far  more  formidable  foes  to 
the  Spaniards  than  they  were,  when  they  first 
planted  their  colony  ;  for  the  horses,  sheep, 
oxen  and  other  animals  introduced  into  the 
country  by  them,  had  multiplied  till  the  In- 
dians had  become  masters  of  them  in  innume- 
rable flocks  and  herds  ;  and  they  were  now 
for  ever  ranging  the  country  on  horse-back, 
armed  like  the  ancient  Tartars,  of  Northern 
Asia,  for  war. 

On  their  arrival  at  Conception,  La  Pey- 
rouse  and  his  band  were  treated  with  great 
kindness  and  politeness  by  the  principal  men 
in  the  place.     They  had  scarcely  anchored, 

4 


50  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

when  they  had  a  polite  letter  of  welcome,  ac- 
companied by  refreshments,  from  M.  Quexanda, 
who  commanded  the  place,  in  the  absence  of 
the  Major-general,  Higgins,  who  was  now 
gone  out  on  an  expedition  against  the  Indians. 

The  next  day,  the  two  French  commanders, 
with  several  of  their  officers,  and  scientific 
friends,  set  out  to  visit  this  polite  gentleman, 
at  his  house,  to  which  they  were  escorted  by 
a  detachment  of  dragoons. 

As  they  had  received  invitations  from  oth- 
ers, also,  they  made  their  first  stop  at  the 
house  of  M.  Sabatero,  where  they  found  a 
fine  dinner  awaiting  them,  and  saying  as 
plainly  as  tempting  looks  and  delicious  odors 
could  speak,  "Come  eat  me!" 

In  the  evening  they  had  a  ball,  to  which  all 
the  finest  ladies  of  the  place  were  invited;  and 
they  danced  till  midnight. 

After  this,  as  many  of  the  French  visiters  as 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  51 

the  house  could  accommodate,  went  to  rest  in 
it ;  and  what  it  could  not,  were  provided  with 
lodging  places,  among  the  polite  neighbors, 
where  they  slept,  probably,  as  hard  as  they 
had  danced ;  and  dreamed  as  fast  as  they  slept. 
But  they  never  told  their  dreams  ;  or  if  they 
did,  they  are  not  recorded ;  so  I  cannot  tell 
them  to  my  readers,  who  can,  no  doubt,  dream 
for  themselves,  though  they  may  be  as  wise 
as  our  heroes  were,  and  keep  what  they  have 
dreamed,  a  secret,  from  the  ears  of  others, 
who  might  not  be  very  much  entertained  with 
the  vagaries  of  unguided  fancy,  were  they 
made  known.  »\ 

The  following  day,  La  Peyrouse  visited  the 
Bishop,  and  several  others,  with  whom  he  was 
much  pleased ;  and  soon  after,  when  the  Major- 
general  had  returned,  he  gave  an  entertain- 
ment, in  a  tent  pitched  by  the  sea  side,  to 
about  a  hundred  and  fifty  gentlemen  of  the 
city 


52  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

All  the  feasters  sat  at  one  table,  and  ate 
from  wooden  dishes.  Messrs.  La  Peyrouse 
and  De  L'Angle  took  the  head  of  the  board, 
and  all  the  others  took  their  seats  according 
to  their  rank,  down  to  the  lowest  sailor. 

The  scene  was  one  of  much  merriment. 
All  were  in  a  full  flow  of  spirits,  and  the 
voyagers  owned  themselves  to  feel  happier, 
than  on  the  day  when  they  left  Brest. 

The  sounds  of  laughter  and  of  song  were 
wafted  off  by  the  air  of  the  ocean,  to  be 
drowned  amid  the  louder  noise  of  the  billows 
that  had  borne  the  strangers  to  the  enjoyment 
of  this  festivity,  with  hearts  as  light  as  the 
zephyrs  that  fanned  the  canvass  of  their  tent. 

The  ladies  were  all  in  their  best,  and  glit- 
tering dresses,  on  this  occasion.  The  amuse- 
ment ended  with  a  ball  in  the  evening,  at 
which  several  of  the  French  officers  appeared 
in  masks. 


STORY    OF    LA    TEYROUSE.  53 

Meantime,  the  refitting  of  the  vessels  was 
going  on  diligently  ;  and  provisions,  wood, 
water,  and  all  necessaries  were  conveyed  on 
board. 

When  these  preparations  were  all  made,  the 
crews  of  the  two  ships,  asked  liberty  to  have 
their  day  of  amusement  on  shore,  too ;  a  re- 
quest that  was  readily  granted  ;  and  they 
probably,  were  not  less  loud  in  their  mirth,  or 
high  in  the  enjoyment  of  it,  than  their  masters 
had  been  in  theirs. 

Perfect  harmony  reigned  between  the  colo- 
nists and  the  French,  during  their  stay  in  this 
place,  which,  all  being  in  readiness,  the  ships 
prepared  to  leave  on  the  17th  of  March. 

About  noon  on  this  day,  they  left  the  har- 
bor, with  a  light  breeze,  and  bid  good-by  to 
the  city  of  Conception, 


54 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Sport  of  the  whales.  Easter  Island.  The  natives.  The 
place.  Thefts  of  the  Indians.  Vegetable  productions. 
Statues.  The  buryitig-ground.  Jl  native's  belief. 
Departure  from  the  Island. 

They  had  not  sailed  many  leagues,  before 
they  were  becalmed  ;  and  at  night  they  were 
surrounded  by  a  troop  of  whales,  who  finding 
the  frigates  rolling  idly  in  their  element,  came 
round  them  and  gave  them  a  shower-bath,  by 
throwing  water  all  over  them,  through  their 
spiracles. 

But,  whether  this  sprinkling  was  an  act  of 
honor  or  of  insult,  has  never  yet  been  made 
known.  At  any  rate,  it  was  as  good  sport  for 
these  huge  children  of  the  sea,  as  the  ballet- 
dance  had  been  for  the  light-hearted',  light- 
footed  Frenchmen  in  their  masks. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  55 

For  several  days,  the  wind  shifted  and 
whiffled  about  incessantly,  so  that  there  was 
little  headway  made  by  the  vessels. 

On  the  8th  of  April,  they  came  within 
sight  of  Easter  Island  ;  but  the  winds  worked 
against  them,  so  that  they  could  not  make 
the  island  till  early  the  next  day,  when  they 
steered  for  Cook's  Bay, — the  best  shelter 
from  the  east  winds,  which  the  island  afforded. 
The  islanders  saw  their  approach,  and  came 
out  in  their  canoes  to  meet  them. 

The  harbor,  though  a  good  one  when 
gained,  was  very  difficult  of  access.  The 
ships,  after  doubling  two  large  rocks  at  the 
southern  point  of  the  island,  coasted  along 
not  within  a  mile  of  the  shore,  till  they  came 
in  sight  of  a  sandy  creek  for  which  they  made, 
and  found  a  good  anchorage. 

The  next  morning,  the  people  of  the  fri- 
gates made  as   much    parade   as  possible,  in 


56  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

order  to  awe  the  natives,  and  make  them 
afraid  of  practising  any  hostilities,  should  they 
have  any  intentions  of  committing  violence, 
on  their  landing ;  for  they  came  flocking  to 
the  shore  in  such  crowds  to  meet  them,  that 
the  Frenchmen  began  to  doubt  a  little  con- 
cerning their  own  safety. 

The  throng  of  Indians  that  came  to  the 
beach  to  meet  the  visiters,  amounted,  at  first, 
to  four  or  five  hundred  ;  and  the  number  kept 
constantly  increasing. 

Some  of  them  were  dressed  in  a  kind  of 
bark  cloth,  of  a  yellowish  color,  some  were 
half  naked,  and  others  wholly  unclad. 

Their  faces  were  tattooed,  and  painted  in 
various  colors  and  figures  ;  and  all,  as  far  as 
their  expression  could  be  discerned  through 
this  disguise,  seemed  lighted  with  savage  joy 
at  the  approach  of  the  strangers. 

But,  this  joy  was   far  from  being  the  off- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  57 

spring  of  any  feeling  of  hospitality,  or  bro- 
therly love.  It  sprang  from  the  hope  of  an 
opportunity  to  better  themselves,  by  robbing, 
or  pilfering  from  the  visiters. 

La  Pey rouse  and  his  company  did  not  in- 
tend passing  more  than  eight  or  ten  hours  on 
the  island  ;  so  they  pitched  their  tent  on  the 
first  good  spot  they  came  to,  and  some  stayed 
to  guard  it,  while  others  went  farther  into  the 
interior  of  the  isle,  to  see  what  was  to  be 
found  there. 

But  scarcely  had  they  arrived  on  shore, 
before  they  learned  that  they  had  got  among 
as  artful  and  thievish  a  race  as  ever  existed 
in  any  country. 

The  tent  was  guarded  by  armed  soldiers, 
but  even  these  could  not  keep  the  natives 
from  pillaging  many  things  ;  and  so  artful 
were  they,  that  they  would  set  their  women 
and   children  to    caressing   and    amusing  the 


58  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Frenchmen,  while  the  men  robbed  them  of 
their  hats,  handkerchiefs,  and  whatever  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on. 

Those  who  went  to  visit  the  interior  were 
obliged  to  make  themselves  the  centre  of  a 
circle  of  armed  men,  who,  as  they  had  been 
directed  not  to  fire,  except  to  save  life,  found 
it  impossible  to  keep  the  crowd  of  surrounding 
savages  off,  notwithstanding  the  use  they  made 
of  the  butt  end  of  their  muskets,  in  trying  to 
repel  them. 

The  Indians  had,  too,  a  very  laughable  way 
of  doing  their  thefts  and  robbery. 

There  were  among  them,  certain  men  who 
appeared  to  be  chiefs  ;  and,  when  one  of  the 
inferiors  had  stolen,  or  taken  an  article  openly 
from  the  French,  these  chiefs  would  start  off, 
pretending  to  call  the  offender  back,  to  restore 
what  had  been  seized,  to  its  owner ;  but  in 
reality,  only  to  give  him  a  chance  of  escape. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  59 

La  Peyrouse  made  them  many  presents, 
with  which  they  seemed  delighted;  but  while 
in  the  act  of  receiving  them,  they  were  con- 
triving some  way  to  steal  more. 

Yet  they  wore  the  appearance  of  great 
kindness;  and  tried  to  assist  the  adventurers, 
as  far  as  possible,  in  their  researches.  While 
one  of  them  was  helping  La  Peyrouse  down 
from  a  terrace,  he  stole  the  hat  from  his  head 
and  made  away  with  it.  They  seemed  to  be 
a  perfect  band  of  Judases,  in  many  respects. 

The  island  was  found  to  have  no  wood- 
land, and  to  be  destitute  of  springs  of  fresh 
water.  The  outskirts  were  overspread  with 
good  herbage  ;  but  the  other  parts  seemed  to 
be  hills  of  volcanic  matter,  which  showed  that 
in  other  days  there  had  been  frequent  and 
violent  eruptions,  though  they  now  seemed 
to  have  ceased. 

There  was  but  very  little  cultivated   land, 


60  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

and  the  rest  of  the  earth  was  overspread  with 
volcanic  stones. 

A  few  mulberry  trees  were  growing  here 
and  there,  in  a  stinted  state,  and  not  more 
than  three  or  four  feet  high.  Of  the  bark  of 
this  tree,  the  natives  made  their  cloth. 

The  vegetables  which  they  cultivated  for 
their  support,  were  yams,  bananas,  and  pota- 
toes ;  but,  as  they  had  no  utensils  for  cooking, 
the  way  in  which  they  made  these  eatable, 
was,  to  put  them  in  an  enclosure,  or  cell, 
lined  with  stones  in  the  earth,  which  was 
heated,  and  the  vegetables  put  in,  and  covered 
with  heated  stones,  till  they  were  roasted. 

The  islanders,  about  two  thousand  in  num- 
ber, appeared  to  be  separated  into  small  com- 
munities, each  company  occupying  one  habi- 
tation, and  cultivating  their  own  patch  of 
ground. 

Their  houses  were  formed  like  an  inverted 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  61 

canoe  ;  and  measured,  some  of  them,  three 
hundred  and  ten  feet  in  length,  only  ten  feet 
in  width,  and,  at  the  highest  part,  the  middle, 
about  ten  feet  in  height. 

The  pillars  and  supporters  of  these  dwel- 
lings were  lava,  cut  out  and  fashioned  so  as  to 
form  the  sides  of  the  house,  and  support  the 
roof.  The  open  parts  in  the  sides  were  niied 
up  with  reeds,  so  closely  interwoven  as  to 
keep  out  the  rain  ;  and  holes  were  bored  in 
the  pillars,  where  poles  were  inserted,  to  form 
the  roof.  Then,  a  thick  thatch  of  reeds  was 
laid  on,  to  form  the  covering. 

The  canoes  of  the  Ester  islanders  were, 
in  consequence  of  the  scarcity  of  trees,  and 
their  stinted  growth,  very  small  and  few  in 
number.  But  the  natives,  who  seemed  to 
have  learned  well  the  way  of  making  shift, 
dexterously,  had  a  manner  of  transporting 
themselves  great  distances,  independently  of 
sail  or  skiff. 


62  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

They  loved  the  water,  and  were  great 
swimmers.  They  would  dash  themselves  into 
the  sea,  for  a  frolic,  when  the  surf  ran  the 
highest,  and  play  about  like  fishes,  after 
swimming  miles,  with  great  ease. 

For  want  of  fresh  water  to  slake  their 
thirst,  they  would  sometimes,  like  the  alba- 
tross, drink  that  of  the  ocean. 

At  the  south  end  of  the  island,  our  adven- 
turers found  an  extinguished  volcano,  of  very 
curious  appearance.  It  was  in  form,  a  trun- 
cated cone,  inverted ;  its  top  being  wider  than 
the  lower  part. 

One  side  of  the  cone,  from  the  top  down- 
wards, to  a  considerable  length,  was  broken 
away ;  and  the  stones,  lava,  &c.  intermixed 
with  particles  of  earth,  as  they  fell  towards 
the  sea,  were  overgrown  with  grass,  up  to  the 
cone,  which  had  become  almost  covered  by  it. 

The    base    of  this   cone  formed  a  perfect 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  63 

circle.  The  ground  was  marshy,  and  had 
many  large  pools  of  fresh  water  around  it. 

The  earth  of  the  island  sloped  up  from  the 
sea-beach  in  a  gradual  acclivity,  to  the  height 
of  about  eight  hundred  feet,  to  the  base  of  the 
interior  hills. 

All  the  earth,  even  to  the  hill-tops,  was 
covered  with  a  coarse  kind  of  grass,  but  no 
wild  shrub  except  the  mimosa  was  inter- 
spersed with  it. 

Sugar-cane,  and  a  small  kind  of  grape  that 
ran  upon  the  rocks,  were  raised,  in  addition  to 
the  produce  already  mentioned.  The  banana 
and  mulberry  plantations  were  on  the  borders 
of  the  marshy  ground. 

The  fields  were  of  an  oblong  square.  The 
way  in  which  the  islanders  planted,  was  by 
making  holes  in  the  earth  with  a  stake,  and 
dropping  in  the  seed-fruits. 

They  had  no  domestic  animals,  and  did  not 


64  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

seem  to  need  any,  as  their  way  of  cultivating 
whereon  to  subsist,  was  very  easy  and  simple; 
and  this  appeared  to  be  the  chief  end  for 
which  they  lived. 

The  island  manifested  strong  marks  of  hav- 
ing been  once  inhabited  by  a  more  numerous 
race  of  people,  and  one  which  was  skilled  in 
the  works  of  art,  and  capable  of  great  designs. 

There  were  remains  of  strong  terraces,  on 
which  were  supported  huge  statues,  and  gi- 
gantic busts  of  human  figures,  which  seemed 
to  be  either  the  monuments  of  ancestors,  or 
statues  of  some  heathen  deities. 

One  of  these  statues  measured  fourteen 
feet  in  height,  over  seven  in  breadth,  across 
the  shoulders,  and  so  on  in  proportion,  through 
all  its  parts. 

Whatever  might  have  been  the  object  for 
which  these  statues  were  raised,  whether  in 
honor  of  the  dead,  or  of  their  gods,  they  could 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  65 

not  have  been  erected  by  the  people  then  on 
the  island ;  for,  they,  having  their  dead  all 
deposited  in  one  common  burying-ground, 
were  contented  with  erecting  small  pyramids 
of  stone  over  the  deceased,  which  being 
white-washed  at  its  top,  seemed  to  satisfy  the 
people  as  well  as  the  most  costly  monument. 

In  a  walk  to  this  cemetery,  with  some  of 
the  natives,  La  Peyrouse  was  surprised  at  the 
sudden  gesticulations  of  one  of  them,  who, 
throwing  himself  upon  the  earth,  and  stretch- 
ing himself  out,  as  dead,  pointed  to  the  skies, 
and  tried  to  express  as  well  as  he  could  by 
signs,  his  belief  that  when  the  body  should  be 
dead,  the  soul  would  rise  and  live  in  a  higher 
and  happier  world. 

Before  they  left  the  island,  the  French 
visiters  gave  several  sorts  of  animals,  such  as 
goats,  sheep,  hogs  and  fowls  to  the  natives  ; 
and  planted  many  kinds  of  seeds  and  fruits  to 


66  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

spring  up  and  flourish,  if  they  could,  when  the 
planters  should  be  far  away. 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day  in  which 
they  landed,  the  9th  of  April,  1786,  they 
returned  on  board  their  ships. 

The  next  morning,  they  sailed,  and  before 
afternoon,  they  were  out  of  sight  of  Easter 
island  and  its  strange  inhabitants ;  leaving 
time  to  prove  whether  the  seeds  they  had 
planted  should  spring  up,  or  not,  and  how  the 
different  races  of  the  animals  they  had  left 
might  flourish. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  67 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Passage  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Arrival.  The  hogs 
thrown  into  the  water.  The  Indians.  The  island. 
Departure  from  Moree. 

The  next  direct  object  which  the  voyagers 
had  in  view,  was,  to  explore  the  northwest 
coast  of  America,  intending,  meantime,  to 
make  all  the  discoveries,  and  spy  out  what 
they  could,  on  the  way. 

A  particular  detail  of  all  the  shifting  of  the 
winds,  and  tacking  of  the  vessels,  till  they 
reached  the  Sandwich  Islands,  would  not  be 
of  much  interest  or  importance  here ;  so  we 
will  pass  them  over. 

But  the  kind-hearted  reader  will  be  gratified 
to  learn,  that  all  hands  on  board  both  vessels 
continued  in  perfect  health ;  and  that  they  were 
surrounded,  oftentimes,  by  shoals  of  bonetas, 


68  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

of  which  they  caught  enough  to  supply  tnem- 
selves  with  fresh  food,  most  of  the  way,  on 
their  six-weeks'  run. 

A  great  many  man-of-war  birds,  petrels,  and 
other  sea-birds,  also  hovered  round  them,  as 
they  traversed  these  unknown  seas,  till  on  a 
certain  day,  when  these  feathered  children  of 
the  tropical  clime  suddenly  took  their  leave. 
It  was  supposed  that  the  vessels  had  come 
near  some  rocky  uninhabited  island  that  might 
be  their  haunt,  or  dwelling-place,  without 
noticing  it. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  they  came  in  sight  of 
Owyhee,  with  the  tops  of  its  mountains  capped 
with  snow.  The  hills  of  Moree  soon  after 
appeared  in  view,  rising  and  looking  grand  in 
their  own  sphere,  but  shrinking  and  diminutive 
when  beheld  by  the  same  eye,  that  reached  to 
the  tops  of  the  neighboring  mountains  on  the 
other  island. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  69 

Just  so  it  is  with  the  things  of  this  world 
in  general.  Greatness  is  relative  or  compara- 
tive in  all  persons,  places  and  things. 

If  any  of  my  young  friends  chance  to  meet 
with  some  disappointment  or  cross  to  their 
wishes  and  hopes,  and  think  it  a  very  great 
one,  let  them  fancy  to  themselves  some  other 
loss,  cross  or  affliction,  and  see  if  the  present 
one  will  not  diminish  in  magnitude,  and  seem 
to  be  very  slight,  compared  to  what  might 
have  befallen  them.  And  if  they  would  have 
some  image  by  which  to  foster  the  idea  in 
their  minds,  let  them  think  of  the  hills  of 
Moree,  that  would  have  seemed  great  and 
majestic  to  the  approaching  strangers,  had  not 
the  mountains  of  Owyhee  stood  up  beside 
them. 

It  was  the  intention  of  La  Peyrouse  to  an- 
chor near  Morokinne,  to  the  leeward  of  Mo- 
ree ;  and  as  they  ran  along  with  this  purpose, 


70  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

between  the  two  islands,  the  Indians,  who 
had  already  marked  the  approach  of  the  ves- 
sels, manned  about  an  hundred  and  fifty  ca- 
noes, and  came  out  to  meet  them,  with  fruits 
and  hogs,  to  traffic  with  the  Europeans,  for 
iron. 

But  a  sad  disappointment  awaited  both 
Frenchman  and  Indian,  at  this  moment;  the 
former  in  securing  their  pork,  the  latter  in  his 
purchase  of  iron. 

The  frigates  could  not  shorten  sail  so  as  to 
be  reached  by  the  canoes,  so  soon  as  to  prevent 
their  being  tossed  about  and  upset  by  the  surf ; 
and,  out  went  Indians,  pigs,  fruits  and  all, 
into  the  sea,  which  boiled  like  a  pot. 

It  is  probable  that  a  greater  number  of 
swine  were,  on  this  occasion,  cast  into  the 
deep,  than  of  old,  ran  down  the  hill  of  Pales- 
tine into  the  sea,  when  the  demons  that  had 
been  dispelled  from  man,    took  upon  them- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  71 

selves  the  less  dignified  forms  of  that  race, 
whose  unrefined  practice  it  is,  to  return,  after 
being  washed,  to  their  "  wallowing  in  the 
mire  ; "  for  of  all  the  quadrupeds  that  peopled 
the  hundred  and  fifty  canoes,  only  about  fif- 
teen reached  the  frigates. 

But  the  Indians  had  no  idea  of  letting  their 
hogs  go  at  such  a  market  as  this.  Each  man 
dashed  about  in  the  water,  till  he  caught  a  pig, 
which  he  hugged  with  one  arm,  while  he  man- 
aged to  get  an  empty  canoe  tipped  bottom  up- 
wards, over  his  shoulders,  and  in  this  way, 
swam,  like  a  fish,  to  the  shore,  conveying  both 
his  vessel  and  its  freight,  to  the  land  they  had 
a  short  time  before  left,  with  quite  a  different 
mode  of  navigation. 

The  frigates  made  sure  of  a  comfortable 
harbor,  and  anchored  near  the  island :  but  it 
was  by  this  time  too  near  night  for  the  people 
to  go  on  shore  from  them. 


72 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE 


Canoes  overset  round  the  vessels. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  73 

The  appearance  of  the  Island  of  Moree,  as 
the  strangers  approached  it,  and  landed  on  it, 
on  the  22d  of  May,  1786,  was  very  delightful. 

From  the  sea-beach,  an  inclined  plain  cov- 
ered with  verdure,  stretched  gradually  to  the 
base  of  the  interior  hills,  that  towering  one 
above  another,  showed  their  green  sides,  spark- 
ling with  the  pure  crystal  streams  of  fresh 
water  that  gushed  from  them  in  various  di- 
rections ;  and  which,  after  leaping  over  the 
barriers,  they  met  in  shining  cascades,  flowTed 
down  to  water  the  plantations,  and  then  took 
their  leave  of  the  earth,  to  mingle  with  the 
waves  of  the  ocean. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning  when  the 
French  landed,  going  on  shore  in  boats. 

About  an  hundred  and  twenty  of  the  na- 
tives, of  both  sexes,  awaited  their  approach, 
on  the  beach ;  and  though  the  strangers  made 
much  parade  in  forming  a  guard  of  soldiers, 


74  STORY    OF    LA   PEYROUSE. 

with  bayonets  and  other  arms  made  ready  to 
protect  them,  these  unsuspecting  and  gentle 
savages  manifested  neither  fear,  surprise  or 
suspicion. 

Two  of  them,  who  appeared  to  be  chiefs, 
addressed  the  strangers  in  a  long,  grave 
speech  (which  they,  of  course,  understood 
about  as  well  as  they  would  have  understood 
the  chattering  of  the  monkeys  in  the  forest), 
and  then  offered  each  a  present  of  a  hog. 

The  squealing  gifts  were  graciously  accept- 
ed by  the  polite  sons  of  France,  and  liberal 
bestowments  of  medals,  hatchets,  and  other 
pieces  of  iron,  made  in  return. 

The  Frenchmen  showed  off,  I  suppose, 
many  of  their  polite  airs  and  graces  in  accept- 
ing these  living  donations,  which,  however, 
they  only  received  for  the  purpose  of  putting 
them  to  death. 

The  habitations   on  the  island    were  very 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  75 

thick  and  numerous,  and  surrounded  with 
banana  trees  of  a  most  luxurious  growth. 

These  houses  were  low,  strawr-built  huts, 
similar  to  those  of  the  poorest  peasants  in 
France.  The  roof  sloped  down  on  each  side, 
the  door  was  in  the  gable  end,  and  the  floor 
was  formed  of  kind  of  curiously  woven  mat- 
ting. 

The  door  was  so  low  that  one  must  stoop 
to  enter  it.  The  calabash  shell  was  one  of 
the  principal  articles  of  kitchen  furniture,  in 
these  simple  dwellings. 

Hogs,  bananas  and  potatoes  were  the  chief 
articles  which  the  husbandmen  cultivated  for 
their  subsistence.  Of  the  bark  of  the  mul- 
bery  tree  they  manufactured  their  cloth. 

By  the  kindness  of  European  visiters,  who 
had  from  time  to  time  come  to  this  island, 
many  domestic  animals,  such  as  cattle,  goats 
and  sheep  had  been  introduced,   and  several 


76  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

sorts  of  trees  and  plants  scattered  abroad  in 
the  land. 

In  their  intercourse  with  the  French,  the 
islanders  manifested  much  gentleness,  good 
nature,  honesty,  and  sagacious  caution. 

La  Peyrouse,  during  his  short  stay  among 
them,  could  hardly  believe  them  capable  of 
what  they  have  been  accused  of  doing,  by 
other  travellers  ;  though  it  has  been  but  too 
clearly  proved,  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
making  human  sacrifices  to  their  gods,  and  of 
feeding  on  the  flesh  of  man. 

But  the  acquaintance  of  La  Peyrouse  with 
these  people  was  very  short.  He  and  his  com- 
pany, after  spending  but  a  few  hours  among 
them,  returned  in  their  boats  to  the  ships. 

They  found,  that,  during  their  absence,  an 
Indian  chief  had  visited  the  vessels,  and  sold 
to  those  on  board,  a  cloak  and  helmet  gaily 
decorated    with    red    feathers,    and    several 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  77 

kinds  of  provisions,  and  implements  of  the 
island. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  ships 
weighed  anchor,  and  bore  away  the  four-footed 
natives  of  the  island,  who,  from  that  moment 
might  have  said,  with  the  late  celebrated 
British  poet, 

"  My  native  land,  good  night !  " 

for  it  was  not  long,  before  the  want  of  water 
and  other  suitable  provisions,  obliged  their 
owners  to  kill  them,  and  put  them  in  a  less 
copious,,  but  a  stronger  pickle  than  the  one 
they  had  fallen  into  from  the  canoes. 


78  STORY    OP    LA    PEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  ships  steer  northward.  A  mill  made.  Signs  of  the 
JY.  W.  coast  appear.  The  arrival.  View  of  the  coast. 
The  ships   anchor  near   the  coast.     Adventures  here. 

JYatives  seen. 

The  prows  of  our  gallant  frigates  were 
now  pointed  northward;  but  the  winds  seemed 
to  be  in  a  chase  from  one  direction  to  another, 
and  owing  to  their  inconstancy,  the  weather 
was,  of  course,  very  fickle  in  its  appearance, 
and  the  manifestations  of  its  favors. 

Thick  fogs  began  to  envelop  the  vessels ; 
and  long,  drizzling  rains  came  down  upon 
them ;  so  that  La  Peyrouse  began  to  fear  for 
the  health  of  his  men,  confined  as  they  were, 
in  constantly  wet  vessels. 

He  therefore  had  stoves  set  under  the  half- 
decks  and  between  the  decks  of  the  ships, 


STORY    OP    LA    PEYROUSE.  79 

which  he  ordered  to  be  kept  filled  with  live 
coals,  to  counteract  the  dampness  ;  and  he 
also  gave  to  each  sailor  and  soldier,  a  new 
pair  of  boots,  and  the  flannels  that  he  had 
made  them  put  off,  after  leaving  the  seas  in 
the  neighborhood  of  old  Cape  Horn. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  physician,  he  had 
the  additional  preventive  of  a  slight  infusion 
of  Peruvian  bark  secretly  mingled  with  the 
drink  which  the  men  took  with  their  break- 
fast ;  and  all  these  precautions  had  a  very 
salutary  effect. 

They  had  now  to  undertake  a  new  kind  of 
business,  for  all  hands  on  board  the  frigates, 
except  one,  who  had  once  been  a  miller's 
boy  ;  and  this  was,  converting  grain  into 
meal,  after  a  suitable  mill  had  been  erected 
for  the  purpose. 

In  taking  in  their  stores,  instead  of  furnish- 
ing themselves  with  flour  and  biscuit,   they 


80  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

had  only  laid  in  a  supply  of  grain  which  they 
had  hitherto  ground  into  a  coarse  meal,  by  an 
instrument  similar  to  that  called  the  quern, 
which  the  Scotch  Highlanders  use,  for  the 
same  purpose. 

But  this  was  too  slow  and  laborious  a  way 
for  the  quick-motioned  Frenchmen  to  get  their 
grists  ground  ;  so,  one,  more  full  of  mechan- 
ical ingenuity  than  the  rest,  set  himself  about 
inventing,  and  erecting,  with  suitable  aid,  a 
kind  of  windmill,  on  deck,  which  succeeded 
admirably  ;  and  the  grain  ground  in  it,  became 
quite  a  delicate  kind  of  flour,  compared  to  the 
coarse,  branny  stuff  they  had  hitherto  had 
to  eat. 

The  sun  now  began  to  dispel  the  mistiness 
in  the  atmosphere,  after  having  absented  his 
cheering  face  so  long,  that  the  voyagers  had 
ample  opportunity  of  remarking,  what  fogs, 
fickle  winds,  and  drizzling  rains  were  to  be 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  81 

met  with  by  the  navigator  of  the  waters  they 
were  crossing,  on  the  road  to  the  north-west 
coast  of  America,  which  they  were  now  ap- 
proaching. 

They  advanced  to  that  part  of  the  coast, 
which,  with  the  exception  of  Nootka,  had 
merely  been  seen,  but  not  explored,  by  Com- 
modore Cook  ;  and  the  first,  and  most  useful 
enterprise,  they  felt,  was,  to  explore  the  tract 
between  Mount  St.  Elias,  and  Port  Monteroy. 

As  they  proceeded  northward,  the  first  sign 
of  the  coast  being  near,  was  given  them  by  a 
variety  of  weeds  and  grass,  floating  on  the 
surface  of  the  water. 

Many  of  these  welcome  members  of  the 
vegetable  family,  were  entire  strangers  to 
their  beholders.  One  among  them  had  a 
stalk  of  immense  length,  topped  off  with  a 
seed-vessel,  somewhat  like  the  head  of  an 
onion,  and  as  large  as  a  full-grown  orange. 

6 


82  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Whales,  divers,  and  flocks  of  wild  geese 
also  came  around  the  vessels;  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  the  fog  was  so  far  cleared 
away,  that  the  eyes  of  the  adventurers  were 
greeted  by  the  view  of  a  long  range  of  snow- 
capped mountains  rising  towards  the  clouds  ; 
and  among  them,  the  lofty  head  of  Mount  St. 
Elias  stood  pre-eminent,  with  its  summit  lost 
in  a  mass  of  clouds,  above  whose  appointed 
place  in  the  regions  of  air,  it  had  proudly 
aspired  to  rise. 

The  joy  which  must,  in  ordinary  cases,  fill 
the  breast  of  every  one,  on  the  first  view  of 
land,  after  having  been  so  long  as  these  men 
had,  tossing  on  the  open  ocean,  was  in  this 
instance  damped  by  the  cheerless,  barren  and 
rugged  appearance  of  the  coast  before  them. 

The  land,  as  they  beheld  it  in  the  distance, 
presented,  fi/st,  these  snowy  mountains,  and 
then,  a  gradual  slope,  to  the  sea-side,  where 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  83 

it  was  bordered  by  immense  piles  of  black 
rocks,  against  which  the  waves  dashed  and 
foamed  with  great  fury. 

But  approaching  nearer,  the  voyagers  dis- 
covered many  islands,  rising  like  hills,  and 
covered  with  green  trees.  The  wind,  how- 
ever, by  suddenly  changing  and  bringing  on 
thick,  dark  weather,  prevented  their  taking  so 
good  a  survey  of  the  coast  in  this  part,  as  they 
intended. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th,  they  had  fair 
skies  again,  and  saw  with  a  clear  view,  the 
coast,  as  it  lay  before  them  in  all  its  irregu- 
larities and  windings.  In  front  of  the  moun- 
tains was  a  broad  tract  of  land,  a  point  of 
which  was  covered  with  trees,  thickly  set, 
and  extended  so  far  into  the  sea,  that  it  was 
at  first  taken  for  an  island,  cut  off  from  the 
main  land,  by  some  narrow  arm  of  the  ocean  ; 
but  on  nearer  inspection,  it  was  discovered  to 
belong  to  the  main  land. 


84  STORY    OP    LA    PEYROUSE. 

They  made  for  this  point,  and  after  sound- 
ing for  some  time,  came  to  anchor.  After 
this,  they  sent  out  men  in  the  boats,  to  try  to 
discover  the  channel  that  they  supposed  di- 
vided this  point  from  the  continent.  It  was 
afternoon  when  these  men  went  out,  and  as 
the  weather  grew  thick,  they  were  for  some 
time  so  far  from  sight,  that  fears  were  enter- 
tained for  their  safety. 

They  soon  returned,  however,  without  any 
disaster,  and  reported  that  there  was  no  sepa- 
ration between  the  woody  point  and  the  main 
land.  They  had  found  the  wood  drifting 
about  so  thick  along  the  shore  as  to  make  it 
difficult  to  land. 

A  formidable  army  these  innumerable  logs 
of  all  sizes  must  have  made,  when  tossed  and 
rolled  to  and  fro,  by  the  billows,  that  raged 
with  great  violence.  The  people  in  the 
boats,  surrounded  by  such  a  restless  thicket 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  85 

of  trees,  on  so  treacherous  a  foundation  as  the 
heaving  ocean,  must  have  felt  no  small  alarm, 
lest  some  unfortunate  dash  against  their  light 
barks,  should  make  them  feel  worse  than  the 
frogs  in  the  fable  did,  when  they  asked  for 
another  king,  and  a  log  was  sent  to  rule  over 
them. 

The  French  officer  who  had  taken  the  lead 
and  the  command  of  the  boats  in  this  enter- 
prise, was  M.  De  Monti ;  La  Peyrouse,  there- 
fore, in  compliment  to  him,  named  the  creek 
where  he  had  been  in  such  peril  from  the  logs, 
"De  MontPs  Bay." 

It  was  evening  when  the  boats  returned. 
The  frigates  then  weighed  anchor,  and  ran 
along  to  the  south-east,  before  a  brisk  breeze. 
For  twenty-four  hours,  the  wind  was  strong 
and  steady. 

After  this,  the  coast  was  overhung  by  a 
dense  fog.     On  the  28th  of  June,  they  were 


86  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

about  three  leagues  from  land,  and  over  a 
muddy  bottom. 

They  now  supposed  themselves  to  be  about 
five  or  six  leagues  to  the  south  from  Bhering's 
Bay,  and  set  sail  for  the  land. 

But  they  soon  perceived,  that  what  they 
had  taken  for  a  bay,  was  only  an  abrupt 
meeting  of  high  and  l^v  lands  on  the  coast, 
which  was  made  visible  by  their  nearer  ap- 
proach. 

Here  they  cast  anchor,  and  prepared  the 
two  boats  of  the  frigates,  to  go  out  under  the 
command  of  Messrs.  De  Clonard  and  Mar- 
chainville,  to  explore  the  coast,  and  see  what 
discoveries  they  could  make. 

They  soon  returned,  and  said  they  had 
found  what  seemed  to  them  to  be  the  mouth 
of  an  immensely  wide  river,  which  emptied 
itself  into  the  ocean  by  two  channels  ;  but 
at  this   mouth   was  a  high  sand-bank  which 


STORY    OF    LA    TEYROUSE.  ?7 

prevented  them  from  passing  up  into  the 
river. 

Beyond  the  sandy  barrier,  they  saw  a  smooth 
basin  of  water,  for  some  distance,  and  by  a 
smoke  that  rose  here  and  there,  on  the  shore, 
beyond  the  bar,  they  presumed  the  land  was 
inhabited  by  human  beings. 

But  what  they  took  for  a  river,  La  Pey- 
rouse  afterwards  perceived  to  be  a  bay,  and 
he  supposed  it  to  be  the  Bhering's  Bay,  of 
Cook. 

To  take  a  nearer  view  of  this  scene,  the 
two  frigates  sailed  along  to  the  distance  of 
three  leagues  from  it ;  and  with  the  aid  of 
their  glasses,  the  voyagers  could  plainly  see 
people  on  shore,  though  the  place  rendered  it 
impossible  for  them  to  land. 


88  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


The  ships  pass  Cape  Fairweather.  They  enter  a  bay. 
Landing  on  the  island.  The  natives.  A  tomb.  Thefts 
of  the  Indians.  One  of  their  games.  Vegetable,  ani- 
mal and  mineral  productions  of  the  region. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  our  adventurers  found 
themselves  opposite  Mount  Fairweather,  at 
two  leagues  distance  from  the  land.  The 
same  day,  they  discovered  a  place  where  the 
coast  receded  eastward  from  Cape  Fairweath- 
er, so  as  to  form  a  quiet  bay  of  the  waters  that 
were  shut  in  by  large  reefs  of  rocks,  and  lay 
calmly  sleeping,  while  the  tumultous  billows 
of  the  ocean  were  raging  and  foaming  without 
the  barrier. 

The  inlet  to  this  bay  was  by  a  break  in  the 
reefs  near  the  sea.  The  bay  was  of  a  depth 
of  10  or  12  fathoms,  and  it  had  a  safe  bottom. 
So,  into  it  did  La  Peyrouse  resolve  to  conduct 
the  frigates. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  89 

At  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  ships 
were  before  the  inlet,  but  an  ebbing  tide  and 
a  strong  current  opposing  them,  overcame 
their  efforts,  and  they  could  not  advance ; 
neither  did  they  anchor  during  the  night. 

In  the  morning  they  renewed  their  attempts 
to  enter  the  bay.  A  flowing  tide  now  carried 
them  at  full  speed,  into  the  basin;  and  forced 
them  on,  till  both  frigates  were  within  half  a 
pistol-shot  of  the  reef  of  rocks,  on  which,  had 
they  gone  a  little  farther,  they  must  have 
struck,  and  been  dashed  in  pieces  "  like  a 
potter's  vessel."  9 

One  of  the  ships  just  grazed  some  of  the 
rocks  with  her  keel,  but  without  injury.  La 
Peyrouse  said,  that  in  all  his  thirty  years  of 
experience,  in  navigation,  he  had  never  known 
vessels  in  so  great  danger,  and  escape  from  it 
so  well. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  bay  the  adventurers 


90  STORY    OF    LA    PEYEOUSE. 

discovered  an  island,  near  which  they  anchored 
upon  a  muddy  bottom. 

On  the  island  they  found  a  large  quantity  of 
wood,  cut  and  carelessly  scattered  along  the 
ground.  Beyond  the  island,  they  saw  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea  overspread  with  large  blocks 
of  ice,  and  the  entrances  of  the  two  channels 
were  seen  at  a  distance. 

L'Astrolabe  went  into  this  port  very  smooth- 
ly, but  La  Boussole  was  warped  in  upon  the 
sand-bed.  This  term,  which  seems  to  belong- 
to  the  sailor  as  well  as  the  weaver,  is  an  ex- 
pression of  the  former,  meaning  that  the  ves- 
sel is  forced  out  of  her  course,  against  the  will 
and  efforts  of  the  steersman. 

As  these  adventurers  were  the  first  discov- 
erers of  this  bay,  La  Peyrouse  gave  it  the 
name  of  Port  de  Frangois, 

On  the  adjacent  continent  they  found  many 
savage   tribes,   whose  novel   appearance,  and 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  91 

untutored  ways  afforded  the  visiters  much 
amusement,  and  opportunity  of  speculation. 

They  seemed  to  be  worshippers  of  the  sun, 
by  what  the  strangers  could  learn  from  their 
tones  and  gestures ;  and  in  all  their  most 
solemn  transactions  they  mingled  with  their 
long,  grave  speeches,  short  and  melancholy 
strains  of  vocal  music,  similar  to  the  sweet  and 
plaintive  sounds  which  Christians  employ  in 
singing  psalms. 

But,  as  the  manners,  personal  appearance, 
and  mode  of  living  of  the  native  tribes  in  this 
region,  have  been  particularly  described  in 
another  work  belonging  to  the  Parley  Li- 
brary, I  will  refer  my  young  readers  to  that 
book,  which  is  "The  Captive  of  Nootka," 
and  only  detain  them  to  state  a  few  things 
which  John  R.  Jewitt  did  not  relate  in  his 
narrative,  or  which  belonged  to  some  tribe 
which  he  did  not  meet  with ;  and  to  tell  how 


92  STORY   OF    LA   PEYROUSE. 

these  savages  treated  their  benevolent  visiters, 
the  Frenchmen. 

The  savages  had  on  this  part  of  the  coast 
a  few  half-covered  sheds,  which  were  under- 
stood by  their  visiters  to  be  a  temporary  resi- 
dence, while  their  more  permanent  one  was 
farther  into  the  interior  of  the  continent. 

One  tomb  was  here  seen,  which  showed 
that  these  natives  were  in  the  habit  of  burn- 
ing their  dead,  all  except  the  head,  which  was 
carefully  wrapt  in  skins  and  placed  within  a 
rude  box  or  coffin,  with  the  ashes  of  the  body 
to  which  it  had  belonged. 

As  a  monument,  a  small  wooden  chamber 
was  raised  on  four  poles,  and  in  this  chamber 
the  coffin,  with  the  remains,  was  deposited. 

The  Frenchmen  found  these  native  Ameri- 
cans not  very  polite,  or  honest  people  ;  for, 
while  in  the  act  of  bestowing  presents,  and 
showing  kindness  to  them,  they  were  robbed 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  93 

by  the  ungrateful  savages  of  every  thing  it 
was  possible  to  take. 

If  they  went  on  shore,  whole  throngs  would 
beset  and  surround  them,  taking  from  them 
every  valuable  article  they  had  about  them. 
They  found  themselves  among  a  people  who 
could  behold  distress  without  pity,  and  com- 
mit robbery  without  remorse. 

Every  thing  within  and  about  the  dwellings 
of  these  natives  was  unclean  and  disgusting 
to  the  sight  of  the  new  comers  ;  and  their  odd 
fancies  about  dress,  particularly  that  of  the 
head,  often  made  their  appearance  shockingly 
grotesque. 

Instead  of  the  hat  of  plaited  matting  which 
they  usually  wore,  they  sometimes  put  on  a 
two-horned  cap  of  eagle's  feathers  ;  and  some- 
times a  whole  bear's  head,  with  a  sort  of  skull- 
cap of  wood  fastened  to  it,  and  made  to  fit  on 
the  head  of  the  wearer. 


94 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


Frenchmen  among  the  natives. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  161 

the  country  around,  appeared  to  have  had  a 
strong  fortress  once  built  upon  it.  But  this 
fortress  had  sunk  in  ruins,  and  a  church  had 
been  erected  in  its  stead. 

The  land-side  of  the  Portuguese  possession 
here,  was  defended  by  two  citadels,  the  one 
of  forty,  the  other  of  thirty  guns. 

11 


162  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER    XV. 


Macao.  Its  inhabitants,  government,  fye.  A  Chinese 
cheat  detected.  Departure  from  Macao.  Marivelle. 
Its  odd  looking  village.  Condition  of  the  place.  An- 
telopes, birds,  fyc.  Departure.  Ji  bad  pilot.  Arrival 
at  Cavite. 

The  whole  population  of  Macao  was  about 
twenty  thousand  souls.  Of  these,  about  one 
hundred  were  of  Portuguese  birth  ;  about  two 
thousand  Portuguese  Indians,  two  thousand 
Caffre  slaves,  domestic  servants  of  the  Por- 
tuguese ;  and  the  rest,  Chinese  artisans  and 
merchants. 

The  artisans  were  rendered  necessary  by  a 
strange  kind  of  pride  which  prevailed  among 
the  Portuguese,  teaching  them  rather  to  be 
willing  to  starve  or  to  beg,  than  to  employ 
themselves  at  any  mechanic's  business. 

The  extent  of  the  Portuguese  domain,  here, 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  163 

did  not  reach  a  league  from  the  city.  It  was 
bounded  at  a  distance  by  a  wall,  guarded  by  a 
Chinese  mandarin,  and  a  band  of  soldiers. 

Macao  was  honored  with  occasional  visits 
from  his  Eminence,  the  mandarin,  who  ex- 
pected the  Portuguese  to  hail  his  approach 
with  a  stout  firing  of  guns.  But  he  would 
never  sleep  within  the  walls  of  the  city. 

The  Portuguese  garrison  consisted  of  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  sea-poys,  and  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty  militia.  The  soldiers  were 
armed  with  staves,  and  the  officers  wore 
swords ;  yet  they  did  not  dare  to  draw  upon 
a  Chinese ;  for  had  they  found  one,  even 
breaking  into  their  houses,  and  given  him  a 
fatal  thrust,  the  man  who  did  it  would  have 
been  taken  without  an  opportunity  of  defence, 
and  carried  before  the  Chinese  governor,  who 
would  have  caused  him  to  be  hanged  in  the 
market  place. 


164  STORY    OF    LA    FEYROUSE. 

The  city  of  Macao  was  pleasant  in  its  ap- 
pearance, having  a  great  many  fine  houses,  the 
handsomest  of  which  were  occupied  by  Euro- 
pean gentlemen,  who  were  there  for  business. 

The  French  adventurers  found  that  the 
price  of  furs  had  greatly  fallen  in  this  place, 
and  that  some  shrewd  Portuguese  merchants 
wished  to  take  advantage  of  them,  in  a  bar- 
gain for  what  they  had  brought ;  so  they  de- 
termined to  deposit  them  under  the  care  of 
their  Portuguese  friend,  to  be  sold,  and  the 
avails  remitted  to  them,  when  a  better  price 
might  be  offered. 

The  Chinese  mandarin  charged  nothing  for 
the  frigates  lying  in  his  waters,  in  the  road  of 
Typa,  but  he  resolved  to  get  his  pay  in  another 
and  a  more  artful  way.  He  conspired  with 
the  purveyor,  who  was  engaged  to  supply  the 
French  with  provisions,  to  charge  them  three 
times  as  much  as  they  cost;  and  the  profits 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  165 

were  to  be  equally  divided  between  himself 
and  the  government. 

This  cheat  was  carried  on  for  about  a  week, 
when  the  French,  detecting  the  imposture, 
dismissed  the  Chinese  purveyor,  not  much  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  mandarin,  and  his  fel- 
low knave  ;  and  sent  their  own  commissary  to 
market  daily,  for  their  provisions,  which,  pro- 
cured in  this  way,  made  their  expenses,  for 
a  month,  not  so  great  as  they  had  been  for 
the  first  week. 

Having  fulfilled  all  the  purposes  of  their 
visit  at  Macao,  they  took  on  board  six  Chi- 
nese sailors,  to  fill  the  places  of  the  unfor- 
tunate men  who  had  been  lost  with  the  boats, 
and  on  the  8th  of  February,  set  sail  from  the 
road  of  Typa. 

Variable  winds  caused  their  course  and  their 
speed  to  be  variable  for  some  days.  On  the 
15th  they  reached  the  island  of  Laconia;  but 


166  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

did  not  here  fall  in  with  the  monsoons,  as 
they  had  expected.  They  came  in  sight  of 
many  places,  and  missed  many  that  were  laid 
down  upon  their  maps.  Sailing  along  the 
coast,  they  saw  some  vessels  in  the  port  of 
Santa  Cruz,  which  they  supposed  were  taking 
in  rice  for  China. 

On  the  21  st  they  tried  to  enter  the  channel 
between  Marivelle  and  Monta,  bat  they 
failed  in  this  attempt  and  were  obliged  to 
anchor  in  the  port  of  Marivelle.  Their  short 
stay  in  this  port,  for  replenishing  their  stock  of 
wood  and  water,  gave  them  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  what  was  on  and  about  the  island. 
Among  the  rocks  along  the  shore,  they  picked 
up  a  great  many  curious  shells,  and  among 
them  some  fine  specimens  of  a  kind  which  is 
called  thorny  ivood-cock.  They  tried  to  fish, 
but  found  the  coast  too  rocky  to  be  able  to 
haul  in  their  lines. 


STORY    OF    LA    TEYROUSE.  167 

The  village,  as  they  went  on  shore,  pre- 
sented a  picture  very  odd,  and  altogether  novel 
in  its  appearance.  It  consisted  of  about  forty 
houses,  that  looked  more  like  large  bird  cages 
than  human  habitations.  They  were  raised 
on  a  foundation  that  rose  four  or  five  feet 
above  the  ground;  the  sides  were  constructed 
with  bamboo,  the  roofs  were  covered  with 
leaves.  So  very  light  were  these  materials, 
that  a  whole  house  was  supposed  to  weigh  not 
more  than  two  hundred  pounds.  Their  floors, 
like  their  walls,  were  of  bamboo. 

These  buildings,  that  seemed  suspended  in 
the  air,  were  entered  by  ladders.  How  they 
might  be  able  to  stand  a  high  gust  of  wind, 
we  have  not  been  informed  ;  but  it  seems  very 
clear  that  had  one  of  them  been  puffed  from 
off  its  foundation  by  a  strong  breeze,  its  in- 
habitants, though  they  might  be  thrown  into 
higher  regions,   would  have  no  broken  bones 


168  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

from  the  timber  of  their  houses  falling  on 
them. 

In  front  of  the  principal  street,  there  stood 
a  large  but  ruined  edifice  of  hewn  stone,  with 
two  brass  guns  at  its  windows.  This  build- 
ing had  formerly  been  appropriated  to  the 
several  purposes  of,  a  dwelling  for  the  curate,  a 
church  for  his  parishioners,  and  a  fort  for  the 
defence  of  the  town. 

But  in  the  year  1780,  the  place  was  in- 
vaded by  the  Moors  from  the  isles  south  of 
the  Philippines,  who  had  sacked  the  town, 
burning  the  buildings,  demolishing  the  fortress, 
and  carrying  away  the  inhabitants  to  be  sold 
for  slaves.  The  small  number  who  now 
composed  the  whole  population  were  kept 
constantly  in  fear  of  the  Moorish  pirates, 
who  terrified  them  so  much  at  their  approach, 
that  they  would  fly  from  their  homes  in  great 
trepidation,  and  hide  themselves  in  the  woods. 


STORY   OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  1G9 

Their  trading  boats  were  ever  in  danger  of 
being  seized  by  the  Moors,  whose  piratical 
skiffs  were  so  light  and  so  fleet,  that  no  fu- 
gitive could  outsail,  and  no  enemy  overtake 
them.  The  only  inhabitant  of  the  large  build- 
ing was  now,  the  curate,  a  young  mulatto 
Indian,  whose  whole  household  furniture  con- 
sisted in  a  few  earthen  pots  and  a  paltry  bed, 
and  whose  parish  comprised  about  two  hun- 
dred people. 

The  officer  next  in  authority,  among  these 
Indian  villages,  was  one  called  alcalde ;  and 
he  was  the  only  man  who  had  the  privilege 
of  carrying  a  silver-headed  cane.  With  this 
shining  signal  of  his  power,  the  Indian  officer 
walked  with  great  dignity  among  his  inferiors, 
who  held  him  in  such  respect  that  they  did 
not  dare  to  sell  even  the  smallest  article  to 
the  French,  without  first  asking,  and  gaining 
his  consent.     He  was  also  the  sole  vender  of 


170  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

tobacco,  which  he  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the 
government. 

Owing  to  the  ravages  of  the  Moors,  and  the 
constant  awe  in  which  they  kept  the  people  of 
this  place,  the  whole  colony  was  in  a  decayed 
and  impoverished  condition.  One  young  ox, 
a  small  hog,  and  about  a  dozen  fowls,  were 
the  only  provisions  the  French  were  able  to 
obtain  here. 

The  Indian  curate  showed  them  some  beau- 
tiful antelopes,  which  he  said  were  to  be  sent 
as  a  present  to  the  governor  of  Manilla.  They 
were  about  as  large  as  rabbits,  and  the  male 
and  female  were  perfect  miniatures  of  the 
stag  and  hind. 

The  voyagers  spent  nearly  a  day  on  the 
island,  during  which  time  they  examined  some 
parts  of  the  interior,  and  made  their  observa- 
tions on  whatever  met  their  view. 

They  saw  in  the  woods  many  very  beautiful 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  171 

birds,  whose  shining  plumage  and  brilliant 
colors  filled  them  with  admiration.  But  they 
could  not  go  far  into  the  forests  on  account 
of  the  tangled  twining  shrubs  that  filled  the 
spaces  between  the  trunks  of  the  trees  ;  and 
showed  them,  that  though  these  wilds  might 
be  accessible  to  the  hardy  Indian,  they  were 
yet  forbidden  ground  to  the  tutored  foot  of  the 
polished  Frenchman. 

They  purchased  at  the  village  some  turtle- 
doves of  a  very  curious  kind,  called  the 
stabbed  turtle-dove,  in  consequence  of  a  spot 
upon  the  breast  of  each,  which  looked  exactly 
like  the  mark  of  a  cut  from  a  knife. 

When  their  researches  on  the  island  were 
finished,  they  returned  to  their  ships.  They 
then  engaged  an  old  Indian  pilot  whom  they 
found  on  board  a  Spanish  vessel,  then  lying 
in  the  port ;  and  agreed  with  him  to  conduct 
them  to  Cavite,  for  the  price  of  fifteen 
piastres. 


172  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

At  daybreak  on  the  25th,  they  sailed,  but 
they  soon  found  that  their  new  pilot  was  run- 
ning them  very  wide  of  their  intended  course, 
and  that  their  wisest  way  was  to  dismiss  him, 
and  trust  to  their  own  charts,  as  he  had  nearly 
caused  them  to  run  aground  on  St.  Nicholas' 
Bank,  and  they  had  come  very  nigh  suffering 
the  fatal  consequences  of  having  the  blind 
lead  the  blind,  before  they  found  out  what 
sort  of  a  guide  they  had  employed. 

With  their  own  skilful  management,  they 
found  themselves  on  the  28th,  in  the  Bay  of 
Manilla,  and  anchored  in  the  port  of  Cavite, 
at  about  two  cables'  length  from  the  town. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  173 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

Visit  to  Manilla.  Cavite.  Manilla.  Luconia.  Several 
other  islands.  Sickness  of  the  French  at  Manilla. 
Chinese  sailors  shipped.  Departure  from  Cavite.  Ap- 
proach to  Formosa.      The  bay  of  Fort  Zealand  seen. 

Our  French  friends  had  been  but  a  very 
short  time  in  the  port,  when  an  officer  of  high 
rank  came  to  invite  them  to  Manilla.  But 
the  good  situation  of  the  ships  in  the  harbor, 
induced  La  Pey rouse  to  decline  the  invitation 
to  remove  them. 

He  soon  went  with  some  of  his  company 
to  Manilla,  to  visit  the  governor,  who  received 
them  with  great  hospitality,  and  sent  orders 
to  Cavite,  to  have  every  liberty  granted  to 
the  French,  in  coming  on  shore,  and  to  have 
them  supplied  with  all  the  things  they  should 
wish  to  obtain,  without  any  restrictions. 


174  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

He  entertained  them  with  a  sumptuous 
dinner,  and  sent  the  captain  of  his  guards  to 
conduct  them  to  the  houses  of  the  archbishop 
and  other  principal  officers  of  the  government 
whose  places  of  residence  were  all  at  Manilla. 

The  weather  was  now  extremely  hot,  but 
the  politeness  of  a  French  merchant  who  re- 
sided in  the  place,  induced  him  to  send  his 
carriage  for  the  use  of  the  strangers  in  making 
their  several  visits,  and  thus  saved  them  from 
being  sun-struck ;  or,  as  the  French  express 
it,  from  un  coup  de  soliel. 

As  they  had  now  an  open  intercourse  with 
the  shore,  they  found  the  inhabitants  of  Cavite 
very  obliging  and  hospitable  ;  and  had  houses 
offered  for  their  use,  while  they  repaired  their 
rigging,  built  two  boats,  and  carried  on  all  the 
business  necessary  for  effecting  their  object 
while  in  port,  and  for  their  convenience  and 
comfort  when  they  should  sail  again.     They 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  175 

had  good  lodgings  offered  for  their  people  who 
wished  to  remain  on  shore,  and  all  sorts  of 
provisions  furnished  with  great  readiness. 

Cavite,  though  the  capital  of  the  Spanish 
province,  looked  to  the  visiters  in  a  ruinous 
state. 

Its  inhabitants  were  now,  three  or  four 
principal  officers,  and  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  soldiers,  with  officers  to  command  them 
as  a  garrison  ;  and  all  the  rest,  to  the  amount 
of  four  thousand,  were  made  up  of  mulattoes 
and  Indians,  who  lived  partly  in  the  city,  and 
partly  in  the  suburbs  of  St.  Roch. 

There  were  here,  three  convents,  each  oc- 
cupied by  two  Roman  Catholic  priests.  The 
abundance  with  which  the  country  yielded  its 
fruits  almost  spontaneously,  led  many  to  in- 
dulge in  extreme  indolence  ;  and  making  their 
piety  an  excuse  for  this  indulgence,  they  re- 
paired in  great  numbers  to  the  convents,  to 


176  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

waste  away  their  lives  in  uselessness  and  in- 
activity. 

The  city  of  Manilla,  lying  about  three 
leagues  from  Cavite,  and  very  large  in  its 
extent,  contained  about  thirty-eight  thousand 
inhabitants.  Of  these,  not  more  than  twelve 
thousand  were  Spaniards,  the  others  were 
mulattoes,  Chinese,  and  Indians.  Among  the 
Spanish,  even  the  poorest  family  kept  a  car- 
riage. 

The  city  of  Manilla  stands  on  the  border 
of  the  bay  which  bears  its  name.  A  beautiful 
river  which  flows  by  it,  and  empties  into  the 
bay,  is  navigable  up  as  far  as  the  lake  of 
Bahia. 

Upon  the  borders  of  this  river  which  sends 
out  its  arms  in  several  directions,  before  its 
two  principal  channels  reach  the  bay,  the 
habitations  of  the  peasantry  were  seen  em- 
bosomed in  trees,  where  all   was  luxuriance 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  177 

and  fertility  ;  while  their  owners  had  an  air 
of  careless  ease  which  showed  that  but  very 
little  of  the  sweat  of  the  brow  was  spent  in 
earning  their  bread. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  all  the  liberality  of 
nature,  here,  the  Spanish  did  not  seem  to  un- 
derstand how  to  turn  her  gifts  to  the  best 
advantage.  Their  government  was  not  such 
as  to  incite  its  subjects  to  activity,  by  reward- 
ing them  with  a  generous  profit  for  their 
labors.  Even  the  very  vices  of  the  enslaved 
Indians,  seemed  to  result  from  the  ill-judged 
proceedings  of  their  Spanish  lords. 

The  hope  of  gaining  gold,  first  led  the 
Spaniards  to  plant  themselves  on  the  Philip- 
pine isles,  and  to  seek  the  subjugation  of  the 
natives,  to  new  lords  and  new  laws. 

But  as  they  succeeded  much  sooner  in  gain- 
ing power,  than  in  gathering  gold,  superstition 
next  came  in  for  her  reign  ;  and  their  attention 

12 


178  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

was  turned  to  the  conversion  of  the  native  In- 
dians to  the  Catholic  faith. 

Hosts  of  them  were  then  brought  in,  under 
the  ecclesiastical  sway,  and  the  temporal  con- 
sequences were  such  as  have  already  been 
alluded  to  ;  but  how  much  better  they  were 
fitted  for  eternity,  by  this  conversion  ;  how 
much  better  they  were  fitted  to  do  good  on 
earth,  and  to  work  out  their  own  salva- 
tion with  fear  and  trembling,  eternity  will 
prove. 

The  people  of  Manilla,  and  all  the  Philip- 
pine isles  showed  such  an  immoderate  love 
of  tobacco,  that  scarcely  a  man,  woman  or 
child  was  to  be  seen  without  a  leading-star 
of  fire  upon  a  cigar  that  projected  from  the 
mouth. 

La  Peyrouse  and  his  company  explored  the 
neighboring  isles,  and  found  many  curiosities, 
and  made  many  useful  observations.     At  Lu- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  179 

conia  they  found  that  cotton,  indigo  and  sugar- 
cane grew  in  great  abundance,  spontaneously. 
Many  spices  were  cultivated  here.  But  neither 
spice,  nor  any  other  production  could  rival  the 
darling  plant,  tobacco,  in  the  estimation  of 
the  islanders. 

Every  peasant  cultivated  this  favorite,  about 
his  habitation,  and  great  exports  were  made 
of  it,  through  the  market  of  Manilla,  to  every 
part  of  India. 

Some  scattering  Spanish  settlements  were 
found  on  the  islands  that  lie  to  the  south  of 
Luconia,  but  these  were  far  from  being  opu- 
lent or  flourishing. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  islands  of  Mindanao, 
Panay,  and  Mindooro,  were  Malays,  whose 
piracies  were  extremely  troublesome  to  the 
Spaniards  and  their  Indian  subjects. 

A  band  of  piratical  savages  must  be  no  very 
desirable  neighbors  to  any  people,  especially, 


180  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

when  their  robberies  are  committed  as  these 
were,  by  taking  human  captives  and  selling 
them  for  slaves. 

The  climate  of  Manilla  was  by  far  less  kind 
to  the  strangers  than  the  inhabitants  were,  for 
a  great  many  of  the  men  fell  sick,  and  one 
died  when  he  had  been  there  about  twenty- 
five  days.  One  gentleman  suffered  so  much 
from  illness,  that  he  left  the  frigate  and  em- 
barked on  board  an  armed  ship  that  arrived 
just  before  in  company  with  another,  destined 
to  the  Isle  of  France,  just  as  the  frigates  were 
in  readiness  to  sail. 

From  these  vessels  La  Peyrouse  received 
several  officers  and  men,  who  engaged  to  sup- 
ply the  places  of  those  who  had  perished  off 
Port  de  Frangais. 

When  the  frigates  were  near  their  depart- 
ure, the  gentlemen  at  Manilla  with  whom  La 
Peyrouse  and  his  company  had  made  acquaint- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  181 

ance,  bestowed  on  them  many  valuable  pres- 
ents, and  added  many  things  to  their  cabinet 
of  curiosities.  They  exchanged  mutual  good 
wishes,  and  when  an  affectionate  farewell  had 
been  taken,  the  French  left  the  port  of  Cavite, 
and  put  to  sea  again,  on  the  9th  of  April,  with 
a  fine  breeze,  which  soon  helped  them  on  to 
the  northward  of  the  island  of  Luconia. 

On  the  21st,  they  reached  the  island  of 
Formosa.  The  next  day,  they  were  about 
three  leagues  distant  from  Lamay  island, 
which  is  at  the  south-west  point  of  Formosa. 
The  sea  here  rolled  very  high,  and  the  billows 
were  in  great  commotion.  La  Peyrouse 
thought  they  could  more  easily  steer  north- 
ward, by  approaching  a  little  nearer  to  the 
Chinese  coast. 

In  attempting  to  do  this,  they  got  upon  so 
shallow  a  water  that  they  feared  sand-banks 


182  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

would  next  arrest  them ;  so  they  tacked  and 
made  again  towards  Formosa. 

This  was  in  the  night ;  and  finding  that  the 
soundings  still  indicated  an  irregular  bottom, 
they  thought  the  safest  way  to  avoid  the 
humps  and  bumps,  and  not  to  get  into  a  worse 
condition,  would  be  to  anchor  till  morning. 

In  the  morning,  they  saw  no  breakers  around 
them,  and  again  took  the  course  towards  the 
continent  of  China.  The  water  was  some- 
times deep  and  sometimes  shallow,  as  they 
proceeded  for  a  great  distance,  and  they  found 
it  was  an  immense  sand-bank  over  which  they 
were  trying  to  pass,  and  which  they  at  length 
made  out  to  clear. 

They  were  now  carried  towards  the  bay 
of  old  Fort  Zealand,  on  which  at  this  time 
stood  the  city  of  Taywan,  capital  of  the 
island. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  183 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

War  at  Formosa.  Chinese  fishermen  hailed.  They  can- 
not make  themselves  understood.  The  armies  and  the 
Chinese  fleet  seen.  The  Pescadore  isles  passed.  A 
thunder  storm.  Approach  to  the  Bashee  isles.  Other 
isles  seen.  Jl  visit  from  Indians  at  the  Kumi  islands. 
Quelpeart.  Stoi-y  of  a  wreck  near  it.  Straits  of 
Corea  entered. 

The  Chinese  colony  of  Formosa,  was  at 
this  time,  in  a  state  of  rebellion  against  the 
government;  and  an  army  of  twenty  thousand 
men,  had  been  sent  out  under  command  of 
the  Santoq  of  Canton,  to  reduce  them  to 
order  and  subjection. 

La  Peyrouse  was  very  desirous  to  learn 
some  news  of  this  war  ;  and  he  at  first  re- 
solved to  anchor,  and  send  the  boats  on  shore 
to  bring  him  some  tidings  of  the  state  of  things 
there.     But  thinking  this  would  not  be  safe, 


184  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

while  the  ships  were  so  far  out  at  sea,  he  gave 
up  the  thought  of  obtaining  information  in  this 
way,  and  hailed  some  Chinese  fishing  boats, 
to  make  inquiries. 

But  the  men  in  these  boats  seemed  very 
suspicious,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  one  of  them  was  prevailed  upon  to  come 
on  board  the  ship,  and  sell  some  fish  at  what- 
ever price  he  pleased  to  ask- 
When  he  did  come,  it  was  impossible  to 
make  him  understand  by  words  or  signs,  what 
was  the  subject  on  which  he  was  questioned, 
or  to  get  any  thing  intelligible  from  him. 

So  they  paid  him  for  his  fish  and  let  him 
depart  in  peace,  being  just  as  well  acquainted 
with  the  war  and  the  rumors  of  war,  as  they 
were  before  they  saw  him.  Meantime,  fires 
were  seen  on  shore,  which  might  be  signals 
of  alarm  ;  but  the  Chinese  army  and  the  rebels 
were,  probably,  in  different  parts  of  the  island. 


STORY   OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  135 

As  the  navigators  were  sailing  along,  the 
next  day,  they  came  in  sight  of  the  armies,  at 
the  mouth  of  a  great  river,  in  which  the  Chi- 
nese fleet  lay. 

This  fleet  comprised  a  great  number  of 
Chinese  vessels ;  and  La  Pey rouse,  thinking 
that  he  should  like  to  take  a  peep  at  them, 
drew  up  with  his  frigates,  and  anchored  close 
by  them. 

Here  he  obtained  such  information  respect- 
ing the  warfare,  as  he  had  been  disappointed 
of  drawing  forth  from  the  unintelligible  fish- 
ermen, and  the  next  morning,  sailed  again, 
intending  to  double  the  Pescadore  isles.  But 
the  billows  were  in  a  great  tumult  and  the 
breakers  were  so  violent  that  they  were 
obliged  to  stand  off  and  only  sail  along,  par- 
allel to  the  isles  and  at  the  distance  of  two 
leagues  from  them. 

These  islands  seemed  to  be  merely  heaps 


186  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

of  rocks  of  every  shape,  size  and  hue,  that 
could  be  imagined.  They  appeared  of  vast 
extent.  One  of  them,  was  thought  by  the 
voyagers,  exactly  to  resemble  the  tower  of 
Cordouan,  at  the  mouth  of  Bourdeaux  river 
and  looked  as  if  hewn  out  by  human  hands. 

The  next  day,  the  voyagers  entered  the 
channel  between  the  Bashee  islands  and  For- 
mosa. It  was  now  that  a  most  terrible  thun- 
der storm  came  on,  veiling  the  heavens  with 
the  deepest  gloom,  while  incessant  lightning 
flashed  from  every  point  in  the  horizon,  and 
the  thunder  seemed  to  come  in  one  long,  tre- 
mendous peal,  which  lasted  during  the  whole 
night. 

The  winds  blew  furiously,  while  a  dense 
fog,  which  seemed  only  to  dwell  in  the  under 
current  of  air,  wrapped  the  ships  on  every 
side.  It  seemed  as  if  some  terrible  revolution 
in  nature  was  about  to  take  place,  and  the 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  137 

voyagers,  thinking  it  wise  to  get  as  far  as  pos- 
sible from  the  land,  stood  off;  and  the  follow- 
ing day,  found  them  becalmed  in  the  channel 
between  the  Bashee,  and  Botel-Tabaco-Xima 
islands. 

On  one  of  the  latter  isles,  they  could  dis- 
cern three  villages ;  and  they  saw  that  the 
whole  land  was  interspersed  with  alternate 
spots  of  cleared  and  cultivated  ground,  and 
thick,  wild  woods,  with  many  bright  streams 
of  water  running  through  it. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  they  came  within  sight 
of  an  island  belonging  to  a  group  of  isles, 
called  anciently  Kumi  islands.  They  saw 
many  fires  on  the  land,  and  herds  of  oxen 
grazing  along  the  shore.  Soon  after,  they 
perceived  a  number  of  canoes  coming  towards 
them. 

The  people  in  these  canoes  were  Indians  ; 
and  as  they  drew  near  enough  to  see  what 


188  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

sort  of  men  were  on  board  the  vessels,  they 
seemed  fearful,  and  unwilling  to  approach  a 
company  of  people  that  looked  so  unlike 
themselves. 

The  French  made  many  signs  to  invite 
them  to  come  on  board  the  great  ships,  at  the 
sight  of  which  they  seemed  much  intimidated; 
and  the  French  at  length  succeeded  in  over- 
coming their  fears  by  holding  up  pieces  of 
cloth,  medals  and  other  things,  which  they 
offered  as  presents  to  those  who  would  come 
and  receive  them. 

The  Indians,  who  at  first,  would  only  come 
within  gun-shot  of  the  vessels,  catch  a  peep, 
and  then,  flee  away  with  great  speed,  now, 
placed  their  hands  on  their  breasts,  and  then, 
lifted  them,  and  their  eyes  towards  the  sky  ; 
and  finding  their  motions,  indicative  of  peace 
and  trust  in  God,  answered  by  the  strangers, 
they  came  on  board  the  ships,  but  with  much 
distrust  expressed  in  their  countenances. 


STORY   OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


189 


Natives  of  the  Kumi  Islands  going  on  board  the  French  vessels. 


190  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

They  were  a  race  of  men,  partaking  the 
character  and  looks  of  the  Chinese  and  the 
Japanese,  but  not  belonging  to  either.  Their 
dress  was,  a  shirt  and  a  pair  of  cotton  draw- 
ers. They  had  their  hair  brought  up  and 
fastened  in  a  knot  on  the  top  of  the  head,  with 
a  large  gold  pin  ;  and  each  man  had  a  golden- 
handled  dagger  slung  at  his  side. 

They  appeared  highly  delighted,  and  very 
grateful,  to  find,  that,  instead  of  any  hostile 
intentions,  the  strangers  only  wished  to  be- 
stow marks  of  kindness  upon  them.  They 
wished,  in  their  turn,  to  do  some  good  deed, 
and  left  the  vessel,  to  go  on  shore,  promising 
by  signs,  to  come  back  and  bring  some  fresh 
provisions. 

But  the  breeze  blew  fresh,  and  the  French- 
men, wishing  to  avail  themselves  of  its  favors, 
set  sail,  and  soon  lost  sight  of  the  islands  of 
Kumi.     To  this  cluster  of  islands,  La  Pey- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  191 

rouse  gave  the  name  of  Tiaoyu-su,  and  to 
another  group  that  they  passed  the  next  day, 
that  of  Haapinsu. 

In  their  course  along  the  north  coast  of 
China,  the  voyagers  had  now,  bad  weather, 
strong  currents,  and  so  thick  a  fog  hanging 
about  them,  that  for  ten  or  twelve  days,  they 
scarcely  saw  any  thing,  relative  to  the  position 
of  the  continent,  or  the  isles  of  the  surround- 
ing sea. 

After  nearly  a  fortnight  of  calms,  the  winds 
sprang  up,  the  fogs  were  dispersed,  and  they 
saw  before  them  the  clear  horizon  stretching 
all  around. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  they  beheld  the  island 
of  Quelpeart,  with  its  middle  towering  up 
into  a  lofty  peak  that  could  be  seen  at  the 
distance  of  twenty  leagues. 

With  the  help  of  their  glasses,  they  could 
distinctly  see  the  land  divided  and  subdivided 


192  STORY    OF    LA    PEYE.OUSE. 

into  inclosures,  whose  varying  hues  showed 
the  different  crops  that  were  growing  upon 
them  apparently  in  great  luxuriance. 

But  they  had  no  desire  to  visit  this  place, 
or  to  go  very  near  to  it,  though  they  saw 
many  of  its  inhabitants  coming  out  in  canoes 
towards  them,  for  they  knew  the  character  of 
its  people  too  well  to  trust  themselves  in  their 
power. 

In  the  year  1637,  a  Dutch  ship  called  the 
Sparrow-hawk,  was  wrecked  on  this  island,  at 
that  time,  under  the  government  of  the  king 
of  Corea. 

The  unfortunate  crew  were  saved  from  sud- 
den death  in  the  raging  billows,  to  drag  out  a 
miserable  existence  in  servitude  among  the 
inhuman  natives,  on  whose  shore  they  had 
been  cast.  After  remaining  eighteen  years  in 
w7retchedness  and  captivity,  some  of  them 
contrived   to   seize    a   bark,    in   which   they 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  193 

escaped  to  Japan  ;  and  found  there,  means  to 
go  to  Batavia,  and  thence  to  Amsterdam. 

The  French  frigates  passed  this  isle,  and 
gave  the  go-by  to  its  rapacious  inhabitants 
who  had  come  off  in  their  canoes,  to  see  what 
they  could  spy  out  and  what  new  chance  there 
might  be  of  robbery  and  plunder. 

The  next  day,  Corea  appeared  in  view,  with 

a  range  of  rocky  islets  running  along  before  it. 

On  the  night  of  the  25th,  the  ships  were  in 

the  straits  of  Corea,  and  within  two  leagues 

of  the  coast. 

13 


194  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


Aspect  of  Corea.  Boats  with  matting  sails.  Isle  Dage- 
let.  Japanese  vessels  seen.  Joosti-Simi  seen.  Ap- 
proach to  the  coast  of  Tartary.  Appearance  of  the 
coast.  The  sea  looks  like  land.  Table  Mountain 
named.  A  bay  discovered  and  named.  The  ships  an- 
chor in  it.  Description  of  this  place.  Wild  beasts 
seen.      Trees  and  flowers. 

It  will  be  understood,  without  a  particular 
mention  made  at  every  place,  that  our  voy- 
agers were  constantly  engaged  in  taking  ob- 
servations, charts,  soundings,  &c.  so  as  to 
ascertain,  for  the  good  of  future  navigators 
and  adventurers,  the  precise  situation  of  the 
lands  they  saw  and  explored,  and  the  rocks, 
currents,  and  other  fatal  impediments  that 
were  scattered  abroad  on  the  seas  ;  and  which 
might  cause  the  destruction  of  those  who 
should  ignorantly  run  upon  them  at  an  un- 
favorable moment. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  195 

The  channel  which  separates  Corea  from 
Japan,  where  it  is  not  narrowed  by  reefs  of 
rocks,  is  about  fifteen  leagues  wide.  Our 
voyagers  now  ran  along  in  this  channel  par- 
allel to  Corea,  and  saw  its  mountains  with 
their  strong  fortresses  upon  them,  in  some 
places,  and  in  others  high  masses  of  snow, 
which  the  sun  had  never  softened  so  as  to 
enable  them  to  run,  even  down  hill. 

The  country  adjacent  looked  barren  and 
hilly,  with  immense  gullies  cut  down  between 
the  heights,  where  they  met  to  frown  upon 
each  other.  Yet  the  dwellings  here  were 
numerous,  and  many  boats  or  cha??ipcms,  with 
matting  sails,  like  those  of  China,  were  scat- 
tered upon  the  waters.  Some  of  these  came 
out  towards  the  frigates,  with  apparent  motives 
of  curiosity,  but  did  not  approach  near  enough 
for  the  men  to  converse  together. 

The   weather  now  became  so  threatening 


196  STORY    OF    LA    FEYIiGUSE. 

that  the  voyagers  went  farther  from  the  land, 
and  bore  away  towards  the  isle  of  Niphon. 
On  the  28th,  they  came  in  view  of  Isle 
Dagelet,  which  took  its  name  from  the  as- 
tronomer who  discovered  it. 

They  sailed  all  round  the  island  within  a 
mile  of  the  land,  sounding  all  the  way  and 
finding  no  bottom.  A  boat  then  went  out  to 
sound  even  to  the  edge  of  the  beach. 

But  the  breakers  ran  high,  and  an  approach 
seemed  hazardous.  The  isle,  about  three 
leagues  in  circumference,  is  hedged  in  by  a 
high  and  abrupt  fence  of  rocks  that  rise  far 
above  the  billows,  on  every  side.  Its  whole 
outline  showed  only  seven  small  sandy  creeks, 
that  were  accessible  to  boats.  From  the 
very  border  of  the  sea,  up  to  its  centre,  the 
whole  island  was  covered  with  forest  trees 
that  would  make  fine  timber. 

Some  Chinese  vessels  were  on  the  stocks 


STORY    OF    LA.    PEYROUSE.  197 

in  these  creeks,  and  many  people  at  work 
upon  them,  who,  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  ap- 
proach of  the  frigates,  and  the  boat  coming 
out,  fled  into  the  woods  and  hid  themselves, 
as  if  in  great  terror,  without  giving  the  visiters 
an  opportunity  to  prove  that  their  intentions 
were  only  benevolent. 

When  La  Peyrouse  saw  the  people  in  the 
second  dock-yard,  turning  round  in  alarm,  and 
dropping  their  tools,  to  flee  away,  he  would 
gladly  have  gone  on  shore  to  prove  the  kind- 
ness of  bis  intentions,  but  the  rocky  rampart, 
and  the  watery  hills  forbade  his  approach. 

On  the  second  day  of  June,  the  frigates 
were  passed  by  two  Japanese  vessels  that 
came  near  enough  to  be  distinctly  seen.  One 
of  them  drew  up  so  close  that  the  French 
could  mark  even  the  expression  of  the  faces 
of  her  crew.  Her  number  of  men  was  about 
twenty.  They  were  dressed  in  blue  gar- 
ments made  like  cassocks. 


198  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

The  vessel  appeared  too  frail  for  anything 
but  a  light  runner  along  the  coast,  for  she 
could  not  have  been  made  to  stand  a  long 
voyage,  on  a  stormy  sea,  or  to  brave  the  rough- 
ness of  winter  weather.  She  had  but  one 
mast,  and  this,  instead  of  being  formed  of 
one  tree,  was  composed  of  a  number  of  small 
trees,  bound  together  with  copper  hoops.  Her 
sails  were  very  large,  and  made  of  breadths 
of  linen,  not  sewed,  but  laced  together.  The 
boat  placed  across  her  bows,  extended  some 
feet  on  each  side,  beyond  the  width  of  the 
vessel.  She  had  a  white  flag,  with  some 
words  written  vertically  upon  it.  Her  name 
was  on  a  sort  of  drum,  which  stood  before  the 
ensign-staff. 

The  French  hailed  her,  and  were  answered 
by  her  men  ;  but  each  speaking  to  the  other 
in  an  unknown  tongue,  they  were  left  about 
as   wise  respecting   their    several    intentions, 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  199 

and  the  ports  to  which  they  were  bound,  as 
if  they  had  past  each  other  in  silence. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  our  friends  were  in 
sight  of  Cape  Noto,  and  the  island  of  Joosti- 
Simi.  They  ran  along  by  this  island,  which 
is  separated  from  the  cape  on  the  coast  of 
Japan,  by  a  channel  five  leagues  in  width. 

As  they  sailed  by,  the  island  presented  an 
agreeable  aspect.  Its  surface  was  nearly  level, 
and  had  some  fine  woodlands,  as  well  as  other 
pleasant  looking  grounds  and  streams.  Some 
of  its  buildings  were  small,  others  were  on  a 
more  magnificent  scale  of  structure,  and  there 
was  one  large  edifice  that  had  the  appearance 
of  a  castle. 

The  navigators  soon  passed  by  this  isle,  and 
bent  their  way  towards  the  coast  of  Tartary. 
On  the  19th  of  July  they  had  reached  this 
coast,  which  presented  no  vestige  of  a  human 
habitation.     The  sides  of  the  mountains  dis- 


200  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

played  a  beautiful  view  of  verdure,  and  their 
tops  were  crowned  with  snow.  So,  with  a 
fine  wind,  and  a  serene  sky,  the  voyagers  held 
on  their  course  in  quest  of  a  better  place  to 
anchor. 

After  several  days  the  weather  grew  foggy 
again,  and  the  vapors  in  the  air  wrought  such 
an  illusion,  that  the  voyagers  thought  they  saw 
the  land  directly  before  them,  with  its  hills 
and  valleys  clearly  defined. 

But  this  fancied  land  soon  began  to  melt 
away  before  the  sunbeams,  as  they  pierced  its 
most  solid  parts ;  and  all  was  turned  to  a  water 
prospect  on  one  hand,  while  on  the  other, 
nothing  appeared  of  sufficient  attraction  to  in- 
duce the  voyagers,  who  had  not  set  their  feet 
on  land  since  they  left  Manilla,  to  go  on  shore. 

One  mountain,  which  they  saw  on  the  coast, 
with  a  flat  top,  La  Peyrouse  named  Table 
Mountain.     The  land  all  along  the  coast  was 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  201 

overspread  with  a  rich  verdure,  that  bespoke 
great  fertility  of  soil. 

On  the  23d,  our  voyagers  entered  on  a 
delightful  scene.  They  found  a  fine  bay,  to 
which  they  gave  the  name  of  Bay  de  Terni. 
Five  small  creeks  formed  the  outlet  of  this 
bay.  The  water  was  low,  over  a  sandy  bot- 
tom, and  they  soon  drew  up  very  near  the 
shore,  impatient  to  land,  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  refreshment  and  observation. 

As  they  approached  the  shore,  the  prospect 
before  them  was  grand  and  beautifully  wild. 
High  hills  stood  up,  looking  down  upon  the 
waters,  with  their  sides  and  summits  covered 
with  bright  green  trees,  among  which  the 
solemn  bear  and  the  stately  stag,  could  be  seen 
from  the  ships,  wandering  in  untamed  and 
fearless  dignity,  the  undisputed  lords  of  the 
soil. 

In  the  forest,  and  along  the  margin  of  the 


202  STORY    OF    LA   PEYROUSE. 

water,  every  shade  of  green  was  at  once  pre- 
sented to  the  eye,  in  the  foliage  and  the  her- 
bage ;  and  all  the  meadow  flowers  of  France 
enamelled  the  earth. 

After  the  navigators  landed,  they  found 
themselves  among  red  and  yellow  lilies,  roses, 
and  a  great  variety  of  flowers  in  the  low  lands, 
while  the  lofty  pines  stood  up  in  an  evergreen 
crest  on  the  heads  of  the  hills  and  mountains, 
and  the  strong-armed  oak  stood  firm  upon 
their  sides  to  bid  defiance  to  the  tempest  and 
the  neighboring  ocean  ;  declaring  in  silence, 
that  none  of  these  things  should  move  it,  or 
undermine  its  base. 

In  the  lower  ground,  willows,  maples  and 
birches  bordered  the  water-courses.  On  the 
skirts  of  the  forests,  apple  trees,  medlar  trees, 
and  clumps  of  hazels  were  in  luxuriant  growth. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  203 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Adventures  at  Bay  de  Terni.  Interesting  discoveries. 
Ruined  huts.  A  Tartarian  tomb  found,  and  examined. 
Its  contents.  Animals  of  the  place.  Burying  the  bottle. 
Departure  from  the  bay.  Running  along  the  coast. 
Another  bay  visited.  The  hut  of  hunters.  An  ex- 
change, no  robbery.  The  dredge.  A  great  island  dis- 
covered.    Its  natives  seen. 

Our  adventurers  continued  their  researches 
in  the  place  where  they  had  landed.  Some 
formed  themselves  into  a  hunting  party,  some 
into  one  for  botanizing,  some  into  one  for 
conchology,  and  some  made  up  one  for  min- 
eralogy. 

But  the  bear  and  the  stag  looked  well  to 
their  ways,  and  would  not  be  approached  by 
the  French  gunners,  who  only  brought  in  three 
small  fawns,  as  trophies  of  victory  in  their 
warfare  with  the  quadrupeds  of  the  coast  of 
Tartary. 


204  STORY    OF    LA   PEYROUSE. 

The  thick  underwood  in  the  forests,  pre- 
vented the  foot  of  the  hunter  from  invading 
the  ground,  where  that  of  the  bear  was  wont 
to  tread  ;  and  the  long  grass  in  the  lowlands, 
that  might  conceal  serpents  whose  sting  would 
be  death,  made  him  doubtful  of  the  safety  of 
venturing  among  it.  The  morasses,  too,  look- 
ed a  little  treacherous,  and  as  if  they  might 
prove  an  uncertain  foundation  to  him  who 
should  pursue  his  game  over  them. 

Finding  themselves  unsuccessful  in  hunting, 
a  large  party  betook  themselves  to  fishing  in 
the  rivers  and  brooks,  that  ran  through  the 
grounds.  In  this  attempt  they  were  very  for- 
tunate. Cod-fish,  salmon,  trout,  herring  and 
many  other  finny  Tartars,  were  the  fruit  of 
their  experiments  in  these  foreign  waters. 

In  their  researches,  they  discovered  the 
traces  of  human  visiters,  if  not  of  the  perma- 
nent residence  of  men.     Some  places  seemed 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  205 

marked  as  if  a  fire  had  been  built  upon  them ; 
and  in  one  corner  of  a  wood,  several  huts  were 
seen  which  appeared  to  have  been  erected  by 
hunters. 

Around  these  sheds,  or  huts,  were  seen 
lying  here  and  there,  some  baskets  made  of 
the  birch-tree  bark,  and  snow-shoes,  that  be- 
spoke their  owners  to  have  taken  their  walks 
through  the  forest  in  the  winter. 

In  one  of  their  fishing  excursions,  the  ad- 
venturers discovered  the  ruins  of  a  small 
house,  and  a  Tartarian  tomb,  on  the  bank  of 
a  rivulet,  where  they  were  nearly  overgrown 
with  grass  and  vines. 

Prompted  by  curiosity  to  look  into  the  re- 
ceptacle of  the  human  clay,  in  this  wild  and 
strange  place,  they  opened  the  tomb,  and 
visited  the  dead. 

Here,  lay  two  human  forms,  side  by  side, 
and  wrapped  in  the  slumber  that  shall  only  be 


206  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

broken  when  the  trump  of  the  archangel  shall 
summon  the  people  of  all  nations,  kindreds 
and  tongues,  to  come  to  judgment;  and  ac- 
count for  the  use  thej  made  of  the  light  that 
was  bestowed  on  them,  and  the  privileges 
the j  enjoyed  in  this  world,  to  prepare  them 
for  an  existence  beyond  the  scenes  of  time. 

The  heads  of  these  inmates  of  the  solitary 
tomb  were  covered  with  under  caps  of  taffeta, 
and  their  bodies  wrapped  in  bear-skins,  fast- 
ened round  them  with  girdles  of  the  same. 
At  these  girdles,  a  variety  of  copper  trinkets 
and  Chinese  coins  were  suspended;  and  beside 
them,  lay  several  different  sorts  of  silver  brace- 
lets, ear-pendants  and  other  ornaments. 

The  tomb  was  strewed  within,  with  blue 
beads,  and  furnished  with  a  bag  of  rice,  a 
wooden  spoon,  a  knife,  an  axe,  an  iron  hatch- 
et, and  a  comb. 

By  this  furniture,  the  visitants  judged  that 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  207 

the  dead  to  whom  they  belonged,  must  have 
been  of  a  race  who  believed  in  the  existence 
of  such  wants  as  the  living  have,  among  those 
who  had  entered  the  world  of  spirits. 

The  tomb  was  constructed  as  a  sort  of  hut 
built  with  the  trunks  of  trees  for  its  walls,  and 
covered  all  over  with  birch-bark.  Nothing 
within  it  had  yet  gone  through  the  process  of 
decomposition.  Meeting  with  the  only  hu- 
man inhabitants  which  they  saw  in  the  w7ild 
spot  they  had  landed  upon,  in  such  an  abode, 
and  such  a  state  as  this,  must  have  filled  the 
bosoms  of  the  adventurers  with  a  variety  of 
strange  emotions. 

The  plants  which  the  botanists  found  on 
this  shore,  were  similar  to  those  of  their  own 
country. 

The  mineralogists  found  specimens  of  slate, 
quartz,  jasper,  violet,  porphyry,  amygdaloid 
and  crystals,  in  the  beds  of  the  rivers. 


208  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

The  land  and  sea-fowls  discovered  by 
the  ornithologists,  were,  ravens,  turtle-doves, 
quails,  wag-tails,  swallows,  wild  ducks,  fly- 
catchers, albatrosses,  gulls,  puffins,  and  bit- 
terns. 

A  few  barnacles,  muscle-shells,  and  snail- 
shells  were  all  wrhich  the  conchologists  col- 
lected to  reward  their  toils,  upon  this  Tartarian 
beach. 

As  our  adventurers  were  the  first  Europeans 
who  had  visited  this  coast,  they  prepared  a 
suitable  inscription,  containing  their  names, 
the  date,  &c,  which  they  put  into  a  bottle, 
sealed  up,  and  buried,  with  several  medals, 
brought  with  them  for  such  purposes. 

Not  that  they  expected  the  bottle  or  the 
medals  to  spring  up  and  grow,  like  the  seeds 
which  from  time  to  time,  they  scattered  here 
and  there,  thus,  to  bring  forth  from  the  soil  a 
crop  of  bottles  and  medals,  though  in  truth, 


STORY    OF    LA    PEVROUSE.  209 

these  bottles  and  medals  had  originally  come 
from  the  earth  and  her  mines,  before  they  were 
fashioned  to  their  present  forms ;  but  they 
wished  to  leave  some  lasting  proof,  which 
chance  might  disclose  to  the  future  adven- 
turer, that  this  ground  had  before  been  trodden 
by  other  feet  than  those  of  the  stag,  the  bear, 
and  the  untutored  human  native  of  the  wild. 

This  farewell  ceremony  over,  the  voyagers 
returned  to  their  ships  and  sailed,  keeping  for 
some  time  so  near  the  coast,  that  they  could 
see  even  the  small  rivulet  that  glided  through 
the  earth  between  its  verdant  borders,  as  they 
passed. 

On  the  morning  of  July  4th,  they  saw  a 
broad  bay,  into  which  a  large  river  was  pour- 
ing itself;  and  some  of  the  men  took  a  boat, 
and  went  out  to  examine  into  the  state  of 
things  on  the  shore  that  edged  it. 

Here  they  found  the  hut  of  hunters,  who  it 
14 


210  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

seemed  could  not  have  been  long  absent,  as 
there  were  branches  of  trees  scattered  about, 
that  appeared  to  have  been  cut  with  sharp 
instruments,  so  recently  that  the  leaves  had 
not  wilted  nor  the  cuts  dried. 

Over  the  hut,  two  elk-skins  were  stretched 
to  dry ;  and  our  company,  going  upon  the 
principle  of  the  maxim,  "exchange  is  no  rob- 
bery," took  one  of  these  skins,  leaving  in  its 
stead,  some  hatchets  and  other  instruments, 
which  they  felt  would  be  of  much  greater 
value  to  the  owner,  than  the  skin  which, 
without  his  leave,  they  saw  fit  to  bear  away, 
while  he  was  in  the  forest,  little  dreaming 
that  his  absent  elk-skin  had  found  legs  on 
which  to  move  off,  notwithstanding  his  having 
emptied  it  of  all  its  bones  and  sinews. 

This  bay  received  from  La  Peyrouse  the 
name  of  Bale  de  Suffrein.  From  this  place, 
the  navigators  went  on,  with  a  variety   of 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


211 


La  Peyrouse  taking  the  elk  skin  from  the  hunter's  hut. 


212  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

changes  in  the  weather ;  after  bringing  up  a 
greater  variety,  of  things  from  under  the 
waters,  in  a  kind  of  net  called  the  dredge, 
with  which  they  fished.  On  drawing  this 
up,  they  often  found  it  to  contain  the  miscel- 
laneous company,  of  whelks,  sea-hedgehogs, 
oysters  with  small  shell  fish  attached  to  them, 
star-fishes,  halotharia,  and  beautiful  pieces  of 
coral. 

As  they  proceeded,  they  came  in  sight  of 
an  immensely  large  and  high  island,  which  on 
a  nearer  approach,  seemed  to  be  nothing  but  a 
huge  mass  of  rocks,  rising  up  into  peaks, 
mingled  with  volcanic  matter,  and  surrounded 
with  heaps  and  pits  of  snow.  In  honor  of  his 
chief  mineralogist,  M.  Lamanon,  La  Peyrouse 
gave  to  the  highest  peak,  the  name  of  Peak 
Lamanon. 

On  entering  the  channel  between  the  coast 
of  Tartary  and  this  island,  they  sailed  along 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  213 

so  near  to  the  island  as  to  get  a  clear  view  of 
another  part  of  it,  and  saw  the  habitations  of 
the  islanders,  who  at  the  sight  of  the  frigates, 
fled  from  them,  to  hide  themselves  among  the 
woods  and  the  rocks. 

The  French  commanders,  on  beholding  this 
fear  of  the  islanders,  immediately  took  some 
of  the  principal  men  of  their  company,  and 
went  on  shore  with  the  boats. 


214  STORY    OF    LA    FEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER   XX. 


Visit  to  the  island.  Scene  at  the  huts.  Jin  interview  with 
the  islanders.  A  description  of  them.  A  second  inter- 
mew.  The  island  called  Tchoka.  Kindness  of  the 
natives,  fyc  Description  of  a  dwelling.  Two  Tartars. 
The  frigates  leave  the  bay,  after  calling  it  Baie  de 
L 'Angle.     Another  island  visited. 

On  reaching  the  shore,  the  French  soon 
came  to  two  small  houses,  that  seemed  to 
have  been  suddenly,  and  just  forsaken.  The 
fires  were  still  burning,  and  the  furniture  all 
in  its  place. 

But  the  only  living  inhabitants  of  these 
dwellings,  to  be  found  at  home,  were  a  litter 
of  blind  puppies,  whose  mother  ran  out  and 
barked  with  all  her  might  at  the  strangers,  as 
they  approached ;  and  they  understood  enough 
of  her  Tartarian  language,  to  perceive  that 
she  was  not  at  all  pleased  at  their  intrusion 
upon  her  premises. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  215 

Wishing  to  conciliate  the  human  fugitives, 
and  to  assure  them,  at  their  return,  that  their 
visiters  had  no  unkind  intentions  towards  them, 
La  Peyrouse  and  his  company  left  within  the 
houses  some  hatchets,  glass  beads  and  various 
iron  instruments. 

Meantime,  the  net  had  been  spread  in  the 
water,  and  when  it  was  drawn  up,  it  was 
found  to  contain  a  fine  draught  of  salmon, 
which  promised  enough  to  supply  the  ship's 
companies,  for,  at  least,  a  week  to  come. 

Just  as  the  adventurers  were  preparing  to 
return  to  the  ships,  seven  of  the  natives  landed 
from  a  canoe,  and  came  up  into  their  midst, 
without  fear  or  surprise.  Among  them  were 
two  old  men  with  long  white  beards,  and  clad 
in  stuff  made  of  the  bark  of  trees.  Two  wore 
dresses  of  quilted  blue  Nankin.  The  others 
wore  long  robes,  fastened  with  a  few  buttons 
and  a  girdle. 


216  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Their  heads  were  shaved  on  the  top,  and 
the  hair  that  remained  was  cut  to  the  length 
of  ten  or  twelve  inches.  They  wore  no  head- 
dress, except  a  small  strip  of  bearskin,  that 
went  round  the  heads  of  a  few  of  them  like  a 
fillet.  Their  arms  were  pikes,  bows,  and  ar- 
rows tipped  with  iron.  Their  demeanor  was 
very  solemn  and  dignified;  and  the  eldest 
seemed  to  be  held  in  great  reverence  by  the 
others. 

An  engagement  was  entered  into  by  these 
men  and  the  French,  to  meet  the  next  day; 
and  the  latter  took  the  way  to  their  ships.  The 
following  day  La  Peyrouse  headed  his  com- 
pany, and  went  on  shore,  according  to  ap- 
pointment, where  they  were  soon  met  by 
twenty-one  of  the  natives,  some  of  whom 
were  adorned  with  silver  ear-rings  and  blue 
glass  beads,  like  those  seen  at  the  Bay  of 
Terni, 


STORY    OF    LA    TEYROUSE.  217 

At  their  first  meeting,  the  French  made 
them  many  presents,  and  they  seemed  to  un- 
derstand well  the  value  of  the  different  metals, 
selecting  with  much  shrewdness,  and  preferring 
the  silver  to  copper,  and  copper  to  iron.  They 
had  about  them  many  copper  ornaments,  pipes, 
and  steels  to  strike  fire  ;  and  it  was  seen  that 
they  were  very  fond  of  tobacco  for  smoking, 
while  they  showed  a  great  aversion  to  snuff. 

They  were  a  little  over  five  feet  in  height, 
well  made,  and  of  pleasing  countenances,  with 
much  gentleness  and  great  dignity  of  manners; 
and  so  far  were  they  from  committing  any 
dishonest  or  inhospitable  act,  that  they  would 
not  even  pick  up,  or  take  a  salmon  on  the 
beach,  among  the  hundreds  that  were  drawn 
in  by  the  net,  till  it  was  given  them  by  the 
French. 

The  old  men  among  them  seemed  to  be 
held  in  great  honor,    like    patriarchs,    which 


218         .  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

was  most  that  could  be  learned  of  their  gov- 
ernment. They  seemed  very  grateful  for  the 
hatchets,  stuffs,  &x.  that  were  given  them ; 
and  in  return  tried  to  give,  as  well  as  they 
could  by  signs,  such  information  as  their 
visiters  appeared  to  want,  respecting  their 
island  and  adjacent  country. 

They  called  their  island  Tchoka,  and  said 
they  obtained  their  beads,  steel  and  Nankin 
from  the  Mantchou  Tartars,  whose  territory 
lay  at  several  days'  sail  from  them,  beyond 
the  strait,  and  on  the  continent. 

They  paid  great  attention  to  all  the  inquiries 
of  the  French  ;  and  when  they  saw  them  with 
pencils  and  paper  in  their  hands,  they  under- 
stood what  they  were  about,  and  either  marked 
out  upon  the  sand,  or  with  the  pencils  which 
they  took  from  their  owners,  the  shape  of 
their  island,  and  many  other  things,  such  as 
rivers,  capes,  bays,  &c.  in  the  region. 


STORY   OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  219 

They  stood  still  and  let  their  own  likenesses 
be  drawn,  but  they  could  not  be  prevailed  on 
to  have  the  dimensions  of  their  bodies  taken ; 
and  seemed  to  think  that  those  who  were 
approaching  for  this  purpose,  were  going 
to  perform  some  magical  work  upon  them. 
Their  women  were  all  this  time  kept  out  of 
sight  within  their  dwellings,  so  that  the 
French  had  no  opportunity  of  seeing  them. 

They  had  looms  in  which  they  wove  their 
cloth  with  shuttles,  and  threads  from  the  bark 
of  the  willow  ;  and  when  a  piece  of  European 
cloth  was  given  them,  they  would  examine  it 
very  curiously,  and  compare  it  with  their  own, 
to  see  wherein  they  differed. 

The  hut,  or  small  house,  which  the  visiters 
described  as  a  specimen  of  the  dwellings  on 
the  island,  was  embosomed  in  a  thicket  of 
rose-trees,  then  in  full  bloom.  It  was  built 
with    timber    and    covered    with    bark,    over 


220  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

which  was  laid  a  straw  thatching.  The  door 
was  very  low,  and  in  the  gable  end ;  the  fire- 
place was  in  the  centre  of  the  building,  with 
a  hole  directly  over  it,  to  emit  the  smoke. 

Directly  round  the  hearth  were  little  banks, 
or  floors  of  earth,  rising  eight  or  ten  inches. 
These  were  covered  with  mats,  on  which  the 
islanders  sat  cross-legged,  after  the  manner  of 
the  Chinese.  Like  that  nation,  they  also  had 
very  long  nails,  and  each  wore  on  his  thumb 
a  ring  of  ivory,  horn  or  lead.  Like  them  too, 
they  made  their  salutations  by  kneeling,  and 
prostrating  themselves  on  the  earth.  Indeed, 
it  seemed  not  unlikely  that  they  might  have 
been  the  lingering  remnant  of  some  Chinese 
colony  that  had,  in  other  days,  planted  them- 
selves on  this  island. 

While  the  roses  were  shedding  their  sweet 
odors  without  the  cabin,  the  interior  was  filled 
with  the  strong,  disgusting   smell  of  fish-oil 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  221 

and  other  things  equally  offensive  to  the  del- 
icate olfactory  organs  of  the  Frenchmen,  who 
offered  a  bottle  of  sweet-scented  water  to  one 
of  the  old  men,  signifying,  at  the  same  time, 
that  it  would  correct  the  bad  influences  of  the 
fish-oil,  and  other  disagreeable  odors  in  his 
cabin. 

The  old  man  smelt  of  it,  turned  up  his  nose, 
and  with  a  face  expressive  of  the  greatest  dis- 
gust, desired  them  to  put  it  away  from  him, 
manifesting  by  his  looks  and  gestures,  that  it 
was  as  disagreeable  to  him  as  any  thing  they 
had  found  could  possibly  be  to  them. 

Among  these  people  were  two  Mantchou 
Tartars,  who  had  come  hither  for  traffic. 
They  were  dressed  in  gray  nankin,  of  a  similar 
style  to  the  dress  of  the  street  porters  of  Ma- 
cao, and  their  hair  was  left  in  a  tuft  on  the 
crown,  like  that  of  a  Chinese. 

The  Chinese   sailors   of  the   frigates  con- 


222  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

versed  with  them  with  much  ease.  Their 
place  of  residence,  they  said  was  about  eight 
days'  journey  up  the  river  Segalien.  All  the 
purchases  which  the  French  were  able  to 
make  at  Tchoka,  were  only  two  marten-skins. 
Before  they  left  the  bay,  they  named  it  Baie 
deU Angle;  and  on  the  14th,  they  bade  it 
good-by.  They  ran  along  enveloped  in  a 
thick  fog,  till  afternoon,  when  the  fog  cleared 
away  and  showed  them  the  island  which  the 
people  at  Tchoka  had  drawn  as  one  they 
would  find  in  that  direction. 

The  houses  here  were  larger  than  those 
they  had  just  left,  and  on  going  ashore,  they 
found  them  divided  into  two  apartments  each, 
one  of  which  seemed  to  be  appropriated  to 
the  use  of  the  owners,  and  the  other  reserved 
as  a  room  for  the  use  of  strangers.  The  latter 
was  unfurnished,  but  the  former  contained  the 
household  affairs. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  223 

When  the  French  first  landed,  the  islanders 
were  assembled  round  several  canoes  that  were 
laden  with  smoke-dried  fish.  These,  as  it 
was  soon  ascertained,  belonged  to  some  Mant- 
chou  Tartars,  who  had  come  to  the  place  from 
the  river  Segalien,  for  purchasing  fish. 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  houses,  wTas  a 
sort  of  circus,  formed  by  a  palisade  of  rude 
pales  ;  and  on  the  top  of  each  pale  was  the 
skeleton  of  a  bear's  head,  while  innumerable 
bones  of  the  animal  whose  head  was  thus 
elevated,  lay  strewed  about  the  circus. 

This  place  was  probably  intended  by  the 
natives  to  commemorate  their  victories. over 
the  bear,  which,  as  they  had  no  fire-arms, 
they  must  have  met  in  close  combat. 

In  their  walks,  the  French  officers  acci- 
dentally met  two  women  of  this  place,  who 
seemed  greatly  alarmed,  but  did  not  flee  from 
their  presence,  till  one  of  the  gentlemen  had 


224  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

time  to  sketch  their  pictures.  Their  dress 
was  a  long  loose  garment  of  linen,  that  reach- 
ed nearly  to  the  ankle.  Their  heads  were 
not  shaved  like  those  of  the  men.  Their  hair 
was  long  and  lank;  their  eyes  were  small 
and  very  black,  and  the  upper  lip  which  was 
very  large,  was  painted  blue,  or  tattooed. 

The  French  left  many  presents  with  these 
people,  and  returned  to  their  ships  in  the  eve- 
ning. The  next  day  they  resumed  their 
voyage,  and  running  along  for  some  time 
through  a  dense  fog,  they  at  length  anchored, 
where  the  country  on  the  coast  was  moun- 
tainous, and  not  a  fire  or  a  sign  of  a  human 
habitation  was  to  be  seen. 


STORY    OF    LA    TEYROUSE.  225 


CHAPTER  XXL 


Jl  remarkable  peak.  A  fishing  excursion.  Landing  at  a 
Tartar  village;  the  place;  the  people.  Their  treat- 
ment. Houses  of  the  Orchys ;  their  tombs.  Personal 
description;  dress;  religion.  Receiving  and  bestowing 
gifts.  Things  found.  Departure  from  the  Orchys' 
town.      Cape  Crillon. 

The  object  of  La  Pey  rouse,  was  now,  to 
find  the  land  of  Jesso  and  Okn  Jesso,  which 
geographers  had  taught  him  to  look  for,  by 
gaining  the  channel  which  he  soon  hoped  to 
reach,  and  which  the  islanders  had  given  him 
reason  to  think  he  might  find  without  diffi- 
culty. So  he  hoisted  sail  again  in  the  morning 
and  proceeded. 

Towards  evening,  on  the  22nd,  the  voya- 
gers found  the  way  between  the  continent 
and  the  island  narrowing,  and  soon  anchored 
near  the   mouth   of  a  small  river,  north  of 

15 


226  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

which,  at  the  distance  of  about  three  leagues, 
a  very  remarkable  peak  rose  up  to  view,  regu- 
larly formed  on  every  side,  and  with  its  base 
at  the  edge  of  the  sea.  The  sides  of  this 
peak  were  covered  with  beautiful  green  trees ; 
and  in  compliment  to  his  master  botanist,  M. 
La  Martiniere,  La  Peyrouse  named  it  Peak 
La  Martiniere. 

Four  armed  boats  under  the  direction  of  M. 
Clonard  now  went  out  to  see  if  the  land  here 
wras  inhabited.  In  a  short  time  they  return- 
ed, with  their  boats  filled  with  salmon,  which 
they  found  so  thick  in  a  small  stream  of  shal- 
low water,  that  the  sailors  had  killed  more 
than  a  thousand  with  sticks,  in  the  course  of 
an  hour. 

They  had  seen  only  a  few  deserted  huts  ; 
and  found  cresses  and  celery  growing  in 
abundance  on  the  borders  of  the  stream,  which 
they  named  Salmon  Brook. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  227 

Juniper-berries,  strawberries,  raspberries 
and  gooseberries  they  had  here  found  in  great 
profusion ;  and  the  botanist  made  many  addi- 
tions of  rare  plants,  to  his  collection.  Firs, 
oaks,  willows,  maples,  birches  and  medlar- 
trees  filled  the  forest ;  and  some  crystallized 
spars  and  other  curious  stones  were  here 
picked  up  by  the  mineralogists. 

The  frigates  soon  sailed  again,  and  as  they 
passed  along  the  shore,  a  hut  would  here  and 
there  appear  in  sight.  After  sounding  about, 
and  sending  out  boats,  for  several  days,  in  the 
channel  between  the  island  of  Tchoka  and 
the  coast  of  Tartary,  the  navigators  found 
themselves  in  great  danger  from  the  strong 
winds  and  stormy  weather  that  came  on ;  and 
three  of  the  hands  were  severely  wounded 
by  the  breaking  of  a  capstan,  in  weighing 
anchor. 

In    the   evening   of  the   28th,    they    found 


223  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

themselves  opposite  a  bay,  on  the  coast  of 
Tartar y,  and  the  want  of  wood  and  water  in- 
duced them  to  make  for  the  harbor. 

The  boats  were  sent  out,  and  returned, 
bringing  information  that  a  Tartar  village  had 
been  descried,  and  a  good  anchorage  for  the 
ships  found,  beyond  four  small  islets  that  were 
covered  with  wood  and  sparkled  with  streams 
of  water,  between  the  ships  and  the  bottom 
of  the  bay,  where  they  would  be  protected 
from  the  winds,  and  lie  in  safety.  And  into 
this  place  the  frigates  were  soon  conducted. 

As  soon  as  they  were  well  moored,  at  three 
cables'  length  from  the  shore,  the  people  took 
to  their  boats  in  order  to  land  and  proceed  to 
business,  such  as  getting  wood  and  water, 
searching  for  curiosities,  and  taking  obser- 
vations. 

But  they  found  the  business  of  landing  no 
very  easy  thing  to  effect.     A  broad  flat  that 


STORY   OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  229 

ran  up  from  the  bay,  was  overspread  with  sea- 
weeds, and  among  it  the  sunken  tide  had  left 
about  three  feet  of  water,  so  that  it  was  alike 
difficult  and  laborious  to  go  in  a  boat,  and  to 
advance  on  foot. 

When  they  had  reached  the  shore,  they 
were  met  by  the  chief  of  the  horde,  a  venera- 
ble old  savage,  and  some  of  his  train,  who 
came  down  to  the  beach  to  meet  them,  and 
saluted  them  by  prostrating  themselves  on  the 
earth. 

The  old  man  then  invited  the  strangers  to 
go  into  his  hut,  to  see  his  wife,  his  children, 
his  daughters-in-law  and  his  grandaughters. 
When  they  had  entered  the  hut,  the  venerable 
host  made  his  guests  seat  themselves  on  mats 
that  were  kindly  spread  for  them,  and  had  a 
dish  of  grain  and  salmon  set  before  them  for 
their  refreshment. 

He  then  made   them  to  understand  that  he 


230  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

and  his  people  were  of  a  nation  called  Orchys, 
and  that  the  stranger  Tartars  who  had  then 
come  to  their  town  in  canoes,  were  of  the 
Bjchies.  The  houses  of  the  Orchys  were 
four  in  number,  composed  of  logs  and  bark, 
and  so  large  that  several  families  inhabited 
each,  keeping  up  the  most  perfect  peace  and 
harmony  among  the  several  members. 

They  were  so  inoffensive  and  honest  in 
their  appearance  and  conduct,  that  the  French, 
while  among  them,  exposed  their  goods  with- 
out the  least  fear  of  theft,  and  they  were  never 
known  to  take  without  leave,  even  the  small- 
est, or  the  most  tempting  article. 

But  they  had  one  practice  which  was  to 
the  visiters  most  revolting.  They  cut  off  the 
snout,  gills,  skin  and  small  bones  of  the 
salmon,  when  fishing,  and  devoured  them 
raw,  when  just  from  the  water.  In  this  way, 
the  salmon  was  cleared  of  these  parts  before 
they  were  brought  home. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  231 

Around  the  houses  great  numbers  of  salmon 
were  hung  to  dry,  and  many  were  dried  and 
laid  away. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  bay,  which  La 
Peyrouse  had  named  Bale  de  Castries,  was 
another  village,  and  three  yourts,  or  subterra- 
nean houses,  like  those  of  Kamschatka,  des- 
cribed by  Captain  Cook. 

It  seemed  to  be  the  custom  of  these  people 
to  place  in  the  tombs  of  their  dead,  whatever 
articles  they  had  owned,  of  the  greatest  value, 
and  also  their  bows,  arrows  and  fishing-lines. 
Within  each  monument  were  three  or  four 
biers  of  not  inelegant  workmanship,  and  cov- 
ered with  brocade  or  Chinese  stuff. 

The  people  of  the  village  were  so  unsus- 
picious and  noble-minded,  that  they  felt  no 
alarm  when  the  French  landed  from  their 
ships,  came  into  their  dwellings,  and  even  en- 
tered the  abode  of  their  dead. 


232  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

These  natives  like  those  of  Tchoka,  wore 
the  ring  upon  their  thumbs,  and  the  design  of 
it  was  here  discovered.  It  was  to  guard  the 
thumb  against  the  knife  used  in  dressing  the 
fish  they  caught,  and  as  a  protection  from  the 
bones. 

They  had  many  roots  pulled  up  and  dried, 
to  help  out  their  stock  of  winter  provision. 

In  their  stature,  the  people  of  this  village 
were  not  above  mediocrity.  Their  hair  was 
long  and  full,  their  cheek-bones  high  ;  their 
eyes,  small,  bleared  and  standing  diagonally 
in  their  sockets,  where  they  pointed  down- 
ward to  a  flat  nose,  large  mouth,  and  a  short, 
beardless  chin. 

Their  complexion  was  of  an  olive  hue,  to 
which  a  thick  coating  of  smoke  and  oil  was 
superadded.  The  men  had  their  hair  confin- 
ed ;  the  women  wore  theirs  loose  upon  their 
necks  and  shoulders.  Their  bodies  were  lank, 
and  their  voices  faint  and  thin  as  a  child's. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  233 

The  dress  of  the  men  and  boys,  was  a  gar- 
ment of  dog-skin  or  tanned  fish-skin,  made 
somewhat  like  a  wagoner's  frock ;  beneath 
this  a  pair  of  drawers,  and  in  the  winter,  seal- 
skin boots.  To  a  girdle  of  skin  worn  about 
the  waist  were  hung  a  pouch  of  tobacco,  a  pipe, 
a  steel  to  strike  fire,  and  a  knife  in  a  sheath. 

The  women  wrapped  themselves  in  a  robe 
of  nankin,  or  a  robe  of  salmon-skins,  taken 
from  the  fish  caught  in  the  winter,  and  skil- 
fully tanned  for  the  purpose.  The  bottom  of 
this  dress  which  reached  to  the  ankle-bone, 
was  trimmed  with  a  fringe  of  copper  orna- 
ments. 

The  religion  of  these  savages  could  not  be 
ascertained.  The  only  indications  of  it,  were 
seen  in  the  rudely  carved  figures  of  children, 
arms,  hands,  legs,  &c.  which  hung  from  the 
roofs  of  their  huts,  and  somewhat  resembled 
the  votive  offerings  in  Catholic  churches. 

But  they  seemed  to  have  some  idea  of  su- 


234  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

pernatural  power  having  been  communicated 
to  their  French  visiters,  for  they  regarded 
them  all  as  sorcerers. 

Their  manner  of  receiving  a  gift  was  digni- 
fied ;  and  showed  a  high  spirit,  and  a  delicate 
reluctance  to  accept  it,  which  made  the  giver 
feel  as  if  the  favor  was  rather  coming  on  him  ; 
and  imposed  on  him  the  necessity  of  bestow- 
ing his  present  with  the  utmost  respect  in  his 
demeanor. 

La  Peyrouse  gave  one  of  the  children  a 
piece  of  rose-colored  nankin,  in  the  presence 
of  his  father,  which  greatly  delighted  the  pa- 
rent, for  it  pleased  all  these  generous-minded 
savages  much  more  to  have  presents  given  to 
their  children,  than  to  themselves. 

The  father  went  directly  out,  and  returned 
in  a  moment,  bringing  in  a  beautiful  little  dog, 
which  he  entreated  La  Peyrouse  to  receive. 
Upon  his  declining  to  take  the  gift,  the  father 
made  his  child,  who  had  received  the  nankin, 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


235 


Native  presenting  La  Peyrouse  with  the  dog. 


236  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

put  his  hands  on  the  dog,  and  beg  the  visiter 
to  accept  it  from  him. 

The  dogs  in  this  place  were  of  the  wolf-dog 
kind,  and  their  masters  often  joked  them 
together  to  draw  small  sledges,  like  the  dogs 
of  Kamschatka. 

While  at  this  place  the  gentlemen  of  the 
various  professions  wrere  busy,  in  their  several 
researches  on  the  little  islands  in  the  bay,  as 
well  as  about  the  villages. 

Among  the  many  kinds  of  birds  which  they 
shot,  there  was  one  which  had  not  been  de- 
scribed. It  was  a  fly-catcher  of  a  bright  azure 
color;  and  of  a  solitary,  mournful  appearance. 

The  minerals,  shrubs,  shells,  flowers,  land 
birds,  sea-fowls  and  fishes  were  similar  to 
those  before  found  on  this  part  of  the  coast. 

On  the  2nd  of  August,  the  frigates  left  the 
bay,  and  steered  to  the  direction  of  Peak  La 
Mananon.  But  strong  winds,  high,  tempes- 
tuous billows,  and  a  thousand  other  circum- 


STOIlY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  237 

stances  conspired  to  render  their  progress  on 
this  untried  deep,  difficult  and  dangerous. 

The  island  of  Tchoka  was  still  kept  in 
view,  and  though  it  had  on  first  sight,  seemed 
like  a  mass  of  rocks,  from  the  point  where  it 
was  seen,  it  now  proved  itself  diversified  in 
its  scenery,  and  one  of  the  largest  islands  in 
the  world.  The  navigators  soon  beheld  its 
southern  point;  and  found  it  to  be  the  same 
isle  that  had  otherwise  borne  the  name  of 
Oka- J es  so. 

At  Cape  Crillon,  the  Tchoka  islanders 
first  ventured  to  visit  the  French  on  board 
their  ships,  and  this  was  done  with  much  ap- 
parent fear  and  diffidence,  at  first,  but  they 
soon  became  more  at  ease,  and  seemed  to  feel 
themselves  among  their  friends  ;  as  the  treat- 
ment they  met  with,  won  their  confidence, 
and  the  gifts  they  received  called  forth  their 
gratitude. 


238  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

JWareckan  isle  seen.  Channel  between  the  Kuriles.  Re- 
marks and  a  review  of  the  voyage.  Course  to  Kam- 
schatha.  Arrival,  entertainment  and  adventures  at 
Kamschatka.  A  ball  given.  Letters  received.  Story 
of  an  exile.  Papers  sent  to  France.  Departure  from 
Kamschatka. 

After  doubling  Cape  Crillon,  and  crossing 
a  strait,  which  was  very  properly  called,  La 
Peyrouse^s  Strait,  the  navigators  made  a  little 
tack  to  the  south,  and  on  the  17th,  had  a 
view  of  Staten  island. 

On  the  29th,  they  saw  mountains,  and  came 
in  sight  of  Mareckan  isle,  the  most  southern 
of  the  Kuriles.  This  island  terminating  at 
each  extremity,  by  a  high,  jutting  rock,  rose 
in  the  middle  to  a  peak  that,  at  a  distance 
appeared  to  contain  the  orifice  of  a  volcano. 

The  voyagers  at  length  entered  a  beautiful 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  c239 

channel,  by  moonlight ;  and  thinking  it  tne 
finest  channel  between  the  Kurile  isles,  thev 
named  it  Canal  de  la  Boussole. 

About  midnight,  thick  fogs  came  on.  In 
the  morning,  the  sun  only  peeped  out  twice, 
and  then  hid  his  face  in  a  dense  mass  of  vapor. 
The  fogs  for  two  or  three  days  hung  so  thick 
in  the  air,  that  La  Peyrouse,  in  view  of  the 
dark  prospect  before  him,  and  the  lateness  of 
the  season,  gave  up  the  plan  of  exploring  the 
northern  Kuriles,  and  resolved  to  bend  his 
course  towards  Kamschatka. 

The  horizon  was  hid  from  view  by  thick 
fogs  until  the  5th  of  September.  During  this 
time  the  voyagers  had  an  opportunity  of  re- 
viewing the  observations  they  had  made  con- 
cerning the  new  lands,  and  the  new  society 
they  had  visited. 

The  seas  of  Tartary  which  they  had  ex- 
plored,   had    never   before    been   crossed    by 


240  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Europeans,  though  they  laved  the  borders  of 
the  oldest  inhabited  continent. 

The  Jesuits  who  had  been  in  the  Chinese 
empire,  and  travelled  into  Tartary,  had  never 
been  able  to  give  any  correct  accounts  of  the 
eastern  parts  of  the  empire,  as  they  were  not 
allowed  to  approach  the  sea-shore. 

The  emperor  forbade  all  strangers  to  sail  to 
the  north  of  his  dominions  ;  and  it  was  sup- 
posed that  the  northern  regions  of  Asia  con- 
tained riches  which  its  avaricious  lords  wished 
to  keep  hidden  from  the  researches  of  stran- 
gers, and  reserved  for  themselves. 

From  their  observations,  the  adventurers 
concluded  that  the  northern  coast  of  East 
Tartary,  was  about  as  thinly  peopled  as  the 
northern  coast  of  America. 

Its  mountains,  and  the  river  Segalien  have 
cut  it  off  from  being  explored  by  the  Chinese, 
or  the  Japanese,  except  by  the  sea-coast. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  241 

111  the  evening  of  September  5th,  our  gal- 
lant frigates  came  in  sight  of  Kamschatka, 
and  the  mountains  first  beheld  by  the  voy- 
agers, were  those  of  the  volcano  to  the 
northward  of  the  settlement  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul. 

The  first  aspect  of  the  coast  was  hideous 
and  forbidding ;  presenting,  as  it  did,  its  huge 
piles  of  rocks,  on  whose  summits  the  unthaw- 
ed  snow  lay  in  heaps,  that  bid  defiance  to  the 
sun,  to  soften,  and  the  winds  to  scatter  them. 

The  following  day,  the  ships  entered  the 
bay  of  Avatscha,  or  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul. 
The  governor  of  the  place  took  his  canoe  and 
came  out  five  leagues,  to  welcome  the  visiters, 
telling  them  that  he  had  been  long  expecting 
them  ;  and  that  the  governor-general  of  all 
Kamschatka,  had  letters  for  them  and  would 
be  at  this  settlement  in  a  few  days. 

As  they  entered  the  bay,  a  more  inviting 
16 


242  STORY    OF    LA    FEYROUSE. 

prospect  than  the  one  first  seen,  appeared 
before  them.  The  bases  of  the  mountains 
whose  heads  were  crowned  with  eternal  snow 
and  ice,  were  overspread  with  a  beautiful 
verdure,  and  dotted  with  tufts  and  thickets  of 
bright  green  trees. 

Scarcely  had  the  frigates  anchored  in  the 
bay,  when  the  good  vicar  of  Paratounka,  with 
his  wife  and  children  who  had  already  been 
heard  of,  as  the  kind  friends  of  the  illustrious 
Cook,  came  on  board  to  express  their  joy  at 
their  arrival. 

The  Toyan,  or  native  chief,  of  the  village, 
with  many  other  people,  also  came  on  board, 
and  every  thing  in  their  power  which  could 
render  the  visit  of  the  French  agreeable,  was 
kindly  and  readily  offered ;  an  interpreter 
was  provided,  and  promises  to  convey  des- 
patches from  La  Peyrouse  and  his  company 
wherever  they  wished  them  to  go,  were  rea- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  243 

dily  made.  A  Russian  letter  was  written  in 
the  name  of  La  Peyrouse,  and  sent  to  the 
governor-general,  by  a  Cossack  messenger, 
and  many  Russian  gentlemen  and  their  ladies 
treated  the  visiters  with  great  hospitality  at 
their  houses,  and  bestowed  on  them  presents 
of  skins  of  sables,  rein-deer,  and  foxes  ;  and 
such  other  valuable  articles  as  the  place  af- 
forded. 

The  most  commodious  house  in  the  village, 
for  the  purposes  of  the  French  astronomers, 
wras  immediately  offered  for  their  use,  at  the 
slightest  hint ;  and  guards  and  guides  were 
appointed  to  accompany  the  naturalists  into 
the  interior  of  the  country. 

Two  of  the  French  undertook  an  excursion 
to  the  volcanic  mountain  whose  smoke  and 
flame  they  had  seen  from  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor.  But  the  guides  would  not  agree  to 
go  beyond  the  base  of  the  mountain,  affirming 


244  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE 

that  no  human  being  could  go  to  the  crater 
and  return  alive. 

When  they  had  nearly  reached  the  moun- 
tain, it  was  so  late  in  the  afternoon,  that  they 
pitched  their  tent  for  the  night,  where  the 
grounds  all  around  them,  were  overgrown 
with  pines,  birches,  and  other  trees ;  and  va- 
rious shrubs,  whose  branches  were  laden  with 
delicious  berries  of  several  colors.  Here  they 
struck  a  fire,  and  made  preparations  for  their 
supper,  which  they  ate,  and  then  laid  them- 
selves down  to  repose  till  morning. 

After  a  morning  meal,  they  struck  their  tent 
and  proceeded,  till  they  reached  the  foot  of 
the  mountain,  when  the  guides,  adhering  to 
their  agreement,  halted,  and  left  the  French- 
men to  climb  the  height,  and  gratify  their 
curiosity,  alone. 

The  indefatigable  adventurers  gained  the 
summit  in  safety;  and  when  they  found  them- 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  245 

selves  on  it,  its  whole  horizon  did  not  seem 
more  than  a  musket  shot,  in  circumference, 
except  at  one  little  opening,  where  they  had 
a  view  of  the  harbor  of  Avatscha,  with  the 
frigates,  looking  like  two  small  canoes,  in  its 
water. 

A  thick  fog  intervening  between  the  adven- 
turers and  the  crater,  disappointed  them  of 
getting  a  clear  view  of  it ;  and  they  returned, 
bringing  back  several  minerals  to  add  to  their 
collection. 

When  they  reached  the  place  where  they 
had  left  their  guides,  they  found  they  had 
given  them  over  as  dead  men,  said  prayers 
for  them,  and  helped  themselves  to  a  great 
portion  of  the  brandy  that  had  been  left  in 
their  keeping. 

Shortly  after  their  return  to  the  settlement, 
Mr.  KaslofT,  the  governor-general  arrived. 
He  was  a  polite,   gentlemanly  man  and  told 


246  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

La  Peyrouse  that  he  was  disappointed,  of 
getting  the  letters  he  had  expected  to  receive 
for  him,  before  he  left  his  residence. 

He  offered  every  thing  at  his  command,  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  French,  and  gave 
them,  with  other  things,  a  Kamschadale  sledge, 
two  royal  eagles,  a  large  number  of  sable-skins, 
and  seven  black  oxen. 

He  also  made  an  entertainment  for  them, 
and  gave  a  ball,  to  which  all  the  ladies,  both 
Russian  and  Kamschatkan,  were  invited. 
These  ladies  were  dressed  in  silk  stuffs,  with 
silk  handkerchiefs  on  their  heads  for  turbans. 
La  Peyrouse  thought  the  wife  and  daughters 
of  the  pious  vicar,  the  best  dancers  of  the 
company. 

The  Russians  were  graceful  and  dignified 
in  their  dancing  ;  but  the  Kamschadales  seem- 
ed to  be  writhing  in  convulsions,  while  the 
only  music  to  which  they  moved,  wTas  a  sort 


STORY    OF    LA   PEYROUSE.  247 

of  low  cry  sent  forth  from  each  performer. 
While  in  the  midst  of  their  hilarity,  the  ball 
was  suddenly  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  a 
courier,  who  brought  a  trunk  for  Mr.  Kasloff, 
which  being  opened  was  found  to  contain  a 
package  for  La  Peyrouse,  and  in  this  were 
papers  from  France,  informing  him  of  his  pro- 
motion to  a  Commodore's  rank.  In  honor  of 
this  promotion,  Mr.  Kasloff  occasioned  a  round 
of  artillery  to  be  fired. 

While  at  this  place,  La  Peyrouse  saw  the 
unfortunate  Russian,  Ivaschkin,  of  whom  Cook 
had  spoken  with  so  much  compassion  for  his 
sufferings.  This  man  was  of  a  noble  family, 
handsome  in  his  person,  pleasing  in  his  man- 
ners, and  an  officer  of  the  guards,  under 
Elizabeth,  then  Empress  of  Russia.  With  all 
these  attractions  he  enjoyed  a  fine  flow  of 
spirits.  When  about  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
he  happened,  at  a  convivial  party  to   get  a 


248  STORY  'OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

little  warmed  with  wine,  and  in  the  exu- 
berance of  his  spirits,  uttered  some  expression 
in  jest,  that  was  thought  derogatory  to  the 
Empress. 

When  she  heard  of  this  remark,  she  caused 
him  to  be  stripped  of  all  his  honors,  to  un- 
dergo severe  corporal  punishment,  to  have  his 
nostrils  slit,  and  then  to  be  banished  for  life, 
to  the  extremities  of  Kamschatka.  After  an 
exile  of  fifty  years,  a  pardon  was  bestowed  on 
him  by  the  Empress  Catharine.  But  he  had 
been  too  long  in  his  wretched  state  of  banish- 
ment, to  wish  to  return  to  the  scenes  of  his 
early  happiness,  and  misfortune,  where  most 
of  his  friends  had  either  forgotten  him,  or  gone 
to  their  long  homes  ;  and  where  he  should 
only  be  regarded  as  an  object  of  curiosity,  and 
have  the  melancholy  story  of  his  afflictions 
rehearsed. 

He   had   received   his   early   education  at 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  249 

Paris,  and  though  very  reluctant  at  first,  to  be 
seen  in  his  unfortunate  condition,  by  La  Pey- 
rouse,  he  was  at  length  prevailed  on,  and 
conversed  with  the  French  with  great  fluency. 

The  gifts  and  attentions  of  the  visiters 
seemed  to  please  him  ;  and  he  became  fond 
of  their  society,  and  pointed  out  to  them  the 
grave  of  their  countryman,  M.  De  La  Croyere, 
a  member  of  the  French  academy,  who  had 
died  there  ;  and  that  of  the  English  navigator, 
Clarke,  who  had  also  found  a  final  resting 
place  on  this  shore. 

La  Peyrouse  caused  a  copper  plate,  bearing 
a  suitable  inscription,  to  be  placed  over  each 
of  these  graves,  before  he  left  the  place. 

He  found  that  the  Kamschadales,  and  the 
Russians  who  were  mingled  with  them,  were 
so  much  more  inclined  to  fishing  and  hunting, 
than  to  cultivating  the  soil,  that  they  had  not 
taken  care   to  enrich  themselves  with  many 


250  STORY   OF    hk   PEYROUSE. 

valuable  vegetable  treasures.  So  he  gave 
them  some  choice  seeds  as  well  as  other 
valuable  articles ;  and  having  obtained  a  pretty 
good  history  of  the  place  to  record  in  his 
papers,  and  a  draught  of  the  bay,  &c.  with  all 
his  other  objects  accomplished,  he  prepared 
to  depart. 

But,  before  the  frigates  sailed,  it  was  agreed 
that  one  of  the  French  gentlemen  should  re- 
main, and  go  home  to  France,  through  Russia, 
to  carry  the  whole  accounts  of  the  voyage  up 
to  that  date,  with  all  the  draughts,  observa- 
tions, &x.  which  had  been  taken. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  the  formal 
thanks  and  adieus  were  exchanged,  and  a 
mutual  discharge  of  cannon  from  the  frigates 
and  the  batteries,  were  the  last  sounds  that 
greeted  at  once  the  ears  of  the  adventurers, 
and  their  hospitable  entertainers. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  251 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

The  Navigator's  Isles  seen.  Visit  from  the  natives. 
Their  traffic.  A  beautiful  dove.  Maouna.  The  na- 
tives. Scenes  at  the  island.  An  affray  with  the  In- 
dians.    A  second  visit  from  the  islanders. 

From  the  time  of  their  sailing,  nothing  of 
particular  interest  was,  for  some  weeks,  met 
with  by  our  navigators ;  and  nothing  happened 
worth  recording.  In  a  tract  of  ocean  where 
the  isles  were  scattered  like  the  stars  in  the 
sky,  they  went  on,  sometimes  with  good 
winds  and  sometimes  with  tempestuous  ones, 
till,  in  a  storm,  they  lost  one  man,  who  was 
washed  overboard  by  a  violent  swell  of  the  sea, 
that  came  booming  over  the  ships  with  terrible 
power. 

On  the  21st  of  November  they  passed  the 
equator,   having  before,  on   the  5th,  crossed 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


their  own  track  from  Monterrj,  after  reaching 
the  tropic.  Many  birds  frequently  came  and 
hovered  round  the  ships,  which  indicated  land 
to  be  near,  when  it  was  not  visible  to  the 
eyes  of  the  adventurers,  who  at  length  sought 
to  find  the  Navigators'  Islands. 

On  the  6th  of  December  the  most  eastern 
of  these  isles  appeared  in  view.  The  frigates 
soon  entered  a  channel  between  the  isles,  and 
on  one  of  them  was  seen  the  dwellings  of  the 
natives,  as  they  stood  on  the  slope  that  went 
up  from  the  sea;  and  not  far  off  a  company  of 
Indians  seated  in  a  circle  under  the  cocoa-nut 
trees.  Some  small  plantations,  that  looked 
like  yams,  were  near  the  habitations. 

At  length  about  sixteen  canoes  started  from 
the  shore,  in  various  places,  and  made  their 
way  to  the  ships.  The  Indians  paddled  round 
the  frigates  several  times,  as  if  doubting  the 
safety  of  venturing  too  near.     But  they  finally 


STORY  OF  LA  PEYROUSE.  2^3 

offered  some  cocoa-nuts  for  sale,  and  came  up 
to  trade. 

They  soon  discovered  their  taste  for  theft  and 
fraud,  as  they  would  take  whatever  they  could 
steal,  and  some  of  them  recovered  the  articles 
for  which  they  were  to  give  their  nuts,  and 
scampered  off  to  their  canoes,  keeping  the 
goods,  and  the  nuts  too,  for  which  they  were 
offered. 

Passing  down  the  channel,  and  trying  to 
double  the  point  of  one  of  these  islands,  the 
frigates  came  very  near  running  against  each 
other.  The  canoes  kept  coming  round  them, 
and  seemed  so  frail,  and  dipped  so  often,  that 
the  life  of  any  one  who  could  not  swim  like 
a  fish,  as  these  Indians  could,  would  have 
seemed  every  moment  in  danger  of  being  lost. 

An  aged  Indian  chief  at  length  approached 
the  ships,  and  held  out  in  his  hand,  a  branch 
of  kava  plant,  which  the  French  had  heard 


254  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

from  other  navigators,  was  a  signal  of  peace. 
They  pronounced  the  word  of  tayo  (friend,) 
and  threw  out  to  him  some  pieces  of  cloth. 

Many  of  these  people  had  ulcers  on  their 
limbs,  so  that  they  were  swollen  to  an  enor- 
mous size  ;  and  they  seemed  to  be  smitten 
with  a  sort  of  leprosy,  that  appeared  on  many 
parts  of  the  body. 

When  they  went  away  from  the  frigates, 
it  was  thought  they  would  not  return  ;  but  in 
the  afternoon  they  came  back  bringing  a  hog, 
some  fowls  and  other  things  for  traffic.  But 
they  did  not  seem  to  want  hatchets,  or  any 
useful  instruments.  Their  great  desire  was 
to  obtain  finery,  and  more  especially,  blue 
glass  beads,  for  which  they  would  reject  any 
thing  else  offered  them. 

A  beautiful  turtle  dove  was  one  thing  which 
they  sold  to  La  Peyrouse  for  beads.  It  was 
alive  and  tame,   and  fed  from  the  hand  of  its 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  255 

new  master  with  perfect  confidence.  Its  body 
was  white,  its  head  of  a  vivid  purple,  its  breast 
was  checkered  like  the  leaves  of  the  anemone, 
with  red  and  black  spots,  and  its  wings  were 
of  a  lively  green. 

But  this  beautiful  bird  could  not,  in  its  new 
condition,  live  long.  When  it  died,  its  beauty 
was  like  human  beauty,  and  it  faded  away  at 
the  touch  of  death.  The  skin,  when  stuffed, 
gave  no  idea  of  what  the  living  bird  had  been. 
The  hues  of  the  plumage  all  changed  and 
faded. 

As  there  was  not  much  to  invite  a  longer 
pause  near  these  islands,  the  frigates  passed 
on,  till  they  came  in  sight  of  the  coast  of  the 
island  of  Maouna.  Approaching  near  the 
shore,  the  voyagers  saw  the  billows  bounding 
merrily  over  a  reef  of  coral  that  surrounded  it ; 
but  several  small  creeks  showed  themselves 
sufficient  for  the  reception  of  their  long  boats 
and  barges. 


256  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  isle  stood  the  village. 
A  great  number  of  canoes  soon  came  out  with 
hogs,  cocoa-nuts  and  other  fruits,  which  the 
Indians  sold  for  a  few  glass  toys,  till  quite  a 
liberal  store  of  provisions  were  taken  into  the 
ships.  Beautiful  cascades  of  water  were  seen 
descending  the  mountains,  to  pass  in  shining 
streams  through  the  villages,  and  then  escape 
into  the  channel. 

Allured  by  all  the  advantages  which  this 
isle  offered,  the  voyagers  brought  their  ships 
to  an  anchor,  about  a  mile  from  the  shore, 
where  there  were  thirty  fathoms  of  water, 
over  a  bed  of  rotten  shells,  with  very  little 
coral  among  them. 

But  the  ships,  though  protected  from  the 
east  winds,  to  the  great  anxiety  of  their 
masters,  rolled  as  if  they  had  been  far  at  sea, 
and  the  commanders  resolved  to  take  in  what 
they  might  need,  as  soon  as  possible,  and  to 


STORY    OF    LA.    PEYROUSE.  257 

sail  the  next  day.  Early  the  next  morning  they 
found  themselves  surrounded  by  no  less  than 
two  hundred  canoes,  all  laden  with  provisions, 
for  which  the  owners  would  take  nothing  but 
glass  beads ;  while  axes,  cloths,  and  other 
articles  were  rejected  by  them  with  great 
disdain. 

They  then  prepared  to  go  on  shore,  to  fill 
their  casks  with  water,  and  to  see  what  the 
condition  of  the  island  might  be,  and  while 
some  of  their  people  were  carrying  on  the 
traffic  with  the  natives,  and  some  watching, 
to  detect  their  thefts,  others  got  the  boats 
ready,  and  when  they  were  well  manned  with 
officers  and  soldiers,  they  went  to  the  shore, 
about  the  time  when  the  Indians  were  re- 
turning. 

As  they  landed,  an  immense  crowd  of  men, 
women  and  children  flocked  to  meet  and 
surround  them,  bringing  hogs,  fruits,  parrots, 
17 


258  STORY  OP  LA  PET  ROUSE. 

and  other  things,  which  they  offered  for  glass 
beads.  The  French  formed  a  line  of  soldiers, 
to  keep  order,  and  found  it  easy  to  prevail  on 
the  natives  to  sit  down,  under  a  grove  of 
cocoa-nut  trees,  and  let  them  pass. 

La  Peyrouse  then  bought  three  pigeons, 
and  ordered  them  to  be  thrown  into  the  air, 
while  he  fired,  to  show  the  natives  how  quick 
was  the  power  of  his  arms  to  take  life  ;  hoping 
by  this  to  give  them  an  idea  of  the  danger 
they  would  bring  upon  themselves  by  any 
hostilities  offered  to  him  and  his  men. 

When  the  casks  were  filling  with  water,  he 
proceeded  to  visit  a  delightful  village,  that 
stood  a  short  distance  from  the  shore,  in  the 
midst  of  a  spacious  grove  of  fruit-trees.  The 
houses  were  ranged  in  a  circle,  and  the  area 
they  enclosed  was  carpeted  with  a  rich  growth 
of  verdure,  and  shadowed  with  trees. 

The  walls  of  the  buildings   were    formed 


STORY  OF  LA  PEYROUSE. 


259 


La  Peyrouse  shooting  the  pigeons. 


260  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROU5E. 

of  a  colonnade  of  pillars,  made  of  the  trunks 
of  trees,  and  the  spaces  between  them  filled 
with  matting,  suspended  so  as  to  form  a  hang- 
ing within.  The  roofs  were  covered  with 
the  leaves  of  the  cocoa-palm  tree.  The  mats 
that  hung  between  the  pillars,  were  so  fastened 
to  cords  that  they  could  be  raised,  or  lowered 
at  will,  and  the  spaces  between  the  pillars 
were  about  five  feet  wide. 

Old  men,  women  and  children  gathered 
round  La  Peyrouse,  and  invited  him  to  enter 
their  dwellings.  He  accepted  their  invita- 
tions, and  found  the  floors,  that  were  raised 
about  two  feet  above  the  level  of  the  earth, 
and  formed  of  pebbles,  overspread  with  soft, 
fresh  mats,  upon  which  he  sat  down  and 
rested.  The  form  of  the  house  was  oval,  and 
the  curve  was  finely  fashioned.  The  one  first 
entered  was  that  of  a  chief. 

The  bread-fruit,  the  cocoa-nut,  the  banana. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  261 

the  guava,  and  the  orange  tree  were  growing 
spontaneously,  and  with  great  luxuriance,  in 
the  groves,  where  wood-pigeons,  turtle  doves, 
paroquets,  and  many  fowls  of  a  very  tame  ap- 
pearance, made  themselves  happy  and  merry, 
among  the  branches.  The  climate  was  so 
mild  as  to  render  clothing  of  very  little  neces- 
sity among  these  Indians. 

While  on  shore,  the  French  soldiery  and 
sailors  suffered  some  little  acts  of  insult  and 
dishonesty  from  the  natives,  who  tried  to  rob 
them  of  their  beads,  &c.  This  they  resented, 
and  showed  some  signs  of  anger  ;  upon  which 
the  islanders  began  to  pelt  them  with  stones, 
and  strike  at  them  with  sticks,  which  they 
managed  with  great  dexterity. 

But  this  affray  La  Pey rouse  soon  quelled, 
by  making  his  men  suppress  their  feelings, 
and  give  up  the  ground,  to  return  to  the  ships. 

The  next  day,  when  the  frigates  were  ready 


262  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

to  sailr  the  islanders  thronged  round  them 
again,  in  their  canoes,  with  things  for  sale, 
and  appeared  so  good-natured  that  the  people 
suspected  they  had  forgotten  the  quarrel,  and 
that  they  had  no  bad  intentions;  nor  did  thej 
now,  offer  any  incivilities. 


STORY    OP    LA    PEYROUSE.  263 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

The  French  revisit  the  island.  Are  attacked,  and  many 
of  them  killed  by  the  Indians.  Two  boats  seized  and 
kept.  The  frigates  sail.  Oyalava.  The  toivn  and 
the  people.  Many  isles  and  the  natives  seen.  Storms. 
Tongataboo.  Course  to  Botany  Bay.  Arrival.  Last 
accounts  of  the  ships. 

When  about  to  set  sail,  M.  De  L'Angle, 
finding  the  water  that  had  been  obtained,  so 
fresh  and  sweet,  thought  it  a  pity  not  to 
add  a  few  casks  more  to  their  store ;  and 
looking  on  the  island  that  he  was  sorry  to 
leave  without  one  more  walk  in  its  beautiful, 
enchanting  groves,  felt  disposed  to  take  a  few 
casks,  and  go  on  shore  again,  to  fill  them. 

With  several  officers,  the  botanist,  and  about 
sixty  men,  he  peopled  the  barge,  a  long-boat, 
and  two  smaller  boats,  and  providing  them 
well  with  fire-arms,  proceeded  to  the  shore, 


264  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

and  sent  the  men  to  fill  the  casks.  While 
they  were  engaged  in  this  work,  some  of  the 
natives  flocked  round  them  for  beads,  and 
their  number  kept  increasing  till  the  French 
were  entirely  overwhelmed  by  their  immense 
throng. 

They  soon  began  to  pilfer,  and  then,  to  rob  ; 
and  at  length  grew  so  outrageous,  that  the 
French  had  to  make  their  way  to  the  boats  as 
well  as  they  could,  with  the  Indians  attacking 
them  on  every  side.  But  the  tide  had  gone 
down  and  left  the  boats  a-ground,  so  that  it 
must  take  some  time  and  much  labor  to  shove 
them  off. 

They  were  at  length  got  clear,  into  the 
water,  and  M.  De  L'Angle  was  in  one  of  them, 
making  ready  to  fire  upon  the  enemy,  which 
he  did  not  wish  to  do,  till  he  should  see  them 
attempt  to  kill  his  men,  who  were  still  on 
shore ;  as  hitherto,    they  had   not   aimed  at 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  265 

their  lives,  but  had  only  robbed,  insulted,  and 
abused  them. 

At  length,  the  men  all  succeeded  in  getting 
into  the  boats ;  and  shoved  off.  When  the 
islanders  saw  them  going  away,  before  they 
had  got  all  their  beads,  they  flew  into  a  great 
rage  ;  and  some  rushed  into  the  water,  while 
others  hurled  stones  with  such  violence  that 
they  came  into  the  boats  among  the  men, 
like  cannon  balls. 

The  assailants  stayed  the  boats,  and  came 
on  them  in  such  numbers  as  to  put  the  French 
in  perfect  consternation.  M.  De  L'Angle, 
with  the  master  of  arms  and  the  carpenter  of 
his  ship,  were  beaten  down  from  the  bow  of 
the  long  boat,  and  were  the  first  who  perished 
by  the  blows  of  the  enemy. 

The  French  fired,  and  some  of  the  natives 
fell,  but  their  numbers  were  so  overpowering, 
and  their  hands  so  dextrous  with  the  club  and 


266 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 


Attack  of  the  natives  of  Maouna  upon  the  long  boata. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  267 

the  stone,  which  they  hurled  with  sure  aim, 
and  resistless  force,  that  in  a  few  minutes 
they  made  themselves  masters  of  the  two 
long  boats  nearest  the  shore;  and  began  to 
tear  up  the  seats  to  find  the  treasures,  which 
they  supposed  were  secreted  there. 

The  men  in  the  other  boats  made  their  way 
in  sadness  to  the  ships,  many  of  them  bearing 
deep  wounds,  to  tell  the  mournful  tale. 

Twelve  of  the  French  perished  in  this  skir- 
mish, nor  could  their  unhappy  survivors  pay 
the  last  offices  of  respect  to  their  departed 
friends,  by  committing  them,  with  suitable 
services,  to  the  earth,  or  the  deep. 

With  sickening  hearts  La  Peyrouse  and  his 
men  now  hoisted  sail,  and  turned  from  the 
scene  of  their  misfortune,  leaving  on  the  edge 
of  this  inhospitable  shore,  the  mangled  remains 
of  their  friends,  and  the  wrecks  of  their  long 
boats. 


268  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Departing  from  the  fatal  coast  of  Maouna, 
on  the  14th  of  December,  La  Peyrouse  next 
directed  his  course  across  the  channel,  to  the 
island  of  Oyolava.  The  productions  of  this 
large  and  fertile  island  were  very  similar  to 
those  of  Maouna ;  and  the  people  who  came 
round  the  ships  in  canoes  for  traffic,  so  ex- 
actly resembled  its  inhabitants,  in  outward 
appearance,  that  some  of  the  French  could 
hardly  suppress  their  indignation  at  sight  of 
them,  while  they  felt  a  strong  inclination  to 
avenge  on  them  the  death  of  their  unfortunate 
companions. 

As  the  frigates  approached  the  shore,  they 
had  a  view  of  a  village,  which  was  probably 
the  largest  then  to  be  found  among  all  the 
islands  of  the  South  Sea.  Here  they  kept 
more  on  the  alert  for  the  natives,  and  looked 
to  every  proceeding  with  greater  caution  than 
they  had  done  on  the  other  island. 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  269 

The  smoke  that  rose  over  this  village  looked 
as  if  it  came  from  a  great  city.  The  natives 
were  gentle  and  kind  in  their  manners.  They 
wore  the  hair  tied  with  a  kind  of  green  rib- 
bon, and  ornamented  with  flowers.  They 
seemed  wholly  ignorant  of  the  use  of  iron,  and 
would  prefer  a  single  glass  bead  to  a  long  nail 
or  a  hatchet.  After  trading  with  them  awhile, 
the  French  continued  their  course,  across  the 
channel  to  Pola,  in  the  afternoon. 

It  was  likely  that  the  people  of  both  these 
isles  received  news,  that  day,  of  the  unfor- 
tunate affair  at  Maouna,  for,  none  of  "the 
islanders  of  Pola  came  out  to  the  ships. 

The  island  was  pleasant  and  fertile  in 
its  appearance,  as  were  most  of  the  others  of 
this  cluster  of  isles,  named  by  M.  Boagainville, 
a  former  adventurer,  the  Navigators'  Islands, 
from  the  habit  which  all  the  natives  have  of 
transporting  themselves  almost  wherever  they 
go,  by  water. 


270  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSS. 

The  navigators  continued  to  move  on,  pass- 
ing here  and  there  an  isle,  till  they  came  in 
sight  of  Cocoa  Island,  towering  up  from  the 
sea  in  the  form  of  a  sugar-loaf,  and  covered  to 
its  summit  with  bright  green  trees. 

Next  in  view  came  Traitors  Island,  low, 
flat,  and  with  only  one  hill,  rising  out  of 
its  centre.  The  frigates  drew  up  to  this 
isle,  towards  evening.  In  the  morning,  about 
twenty  canoes  came  out  to  visit  them,  bring- 
ing cocoa-nuts,  yams,  bananas  and  one  hog, 
for  sale.  The  Indians  of  this  isle  appeared 
never  to  have  seen  an  European  before ;  and 
they  seemed  wholly  destitute  of  suspicion  and 
fear.  Every  one  of  them  had  had  two  joints 
cut  from  the  little  finger  of  his  left  hand ;  but 
why,  or  to  what  deity  this  sacrifice  was  made, 
could  not  be  ascertained. 

While  engaged  in  their  traffic,  a  sudden 
flaw  came  up,  which  dispersed  the  canoes, 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  271 

and  upset  many  of  them  in  a  moment ;  but 
the  Indians  were  expert  swimmers,  and  they 
soon  righted  themselves.  The  next  object  of 
our  navigators  was,  to  make  for  such  of  the 
Friendly  Isles,  to  the  north  of  Jamooka,  as 
had  not  been  explored  by  Cook. 

Bad,  stormy  weather  now  came  on;  many 
of  the  men  fell  sick,  and  one  died.  The  hogs 
obtained  at  Maouna  could  neither  be  main- 
tained alive  nor  salted,  so  the  crew  fed  on 
fresh  pork  twice  a  day,  while  they  lasted, 
which  had  a  good  effect  on  their  health. 

The  north-west  winds  which  followed  the 
frigates  beyond  the  Friendly  Isles,  were 
accompanied  by  rain,  and  blew  with  violence. 
On  the  27th  of  December,  they  approached 
Vavao,  which,  with  its  surrounding  islets, 
had  been  called  by  their  Spanish  discoverer, 
Majorca. 

Fear  of  the  rapacious  natives  prevented  La 


272  STORY    OP    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Peyrouse  from  landing  on  Vavao,  and  he  bore 
away  for  the  island  of  Latte,  at  twenty  leagues 
distance.  The  night  came  on  with  thick 
darkness,  and  the  storm  beat  furiously  round 
the  ships.  In  the  morning  it  was  found  im- 
possible to  stand  the  blast,  so  as  to  approach 
Latte,  and  they  bore  away  towards  Koa  and 
Too/a. 

On  the  31st,  the  voyagers  saw  Tongataboo, 
and  steered  for  its  southern  coast.  But  the 
breakers  beat  round  the  shore,  so  that  it  was 
thought  dangerous  to  draw  very  near  the  land. 
Beautiful  orchards,  and  trees  skirting  fields  of 
bright  verdure,  were  to  be  seen  all  over  the 
island,  and  the  huts  of  the  natives,  instead  of 
being  assembled  in  villages,  were  scattered 
here  and  there,  in  every  direction.  Not  a 
hill  was  to  be  seen ;  the  whole  surface  of  the 
isle  looked  smooth  as  the  sea  in  a  calm. 

Some  of  the  natives  came  out  in  canoes, 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  273 

but  not  being  able  to  get  them  near  the  ships, 
on  account  of  the  billows,  they  abandoned 
them,  and  leaping  into  the  sea,  with  cocoa- 
nuts  in  their  hands,  came  into  the  ships  and 
offered  them  for  sale,  for  hatchets,  bits  of  iron, 
or  whatever  the  buyers  pleased  to  give. 
-  They  staid  some  time  and  seemed  very 
friendly,  promising  that  if  the  French  would 
go  on  shore,  they  should  have  good  usage 
and  a  plenty  of  provisions.  They,  like  the 
Traitor  islanders,  had  the  joints  cut  from  the 
little  finger,  and  it  was  now  ascertained  to  be 
a  sign  of  mourning  for  the  death  of  relations. 
On  the  first  of  January,  1788,  as  there  of- 
fered no  way  of  obtaining  fresh  provisions,  La 
Peyrouse  resolved  to  steer,  without  delay,  for 
Botany  Bay.  For  many  days,  contrary  winds, 
and  stormy  seas  and  skies  marked  the  course 
of  the  voyagers,  till  they  came  near  Norfolk 
Island,  The  interior  of  this  isle  presented  a 
18 


274  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

view  of  verdant  trees  and  grass,  while  its  bor- 
ders were  hemmed  in  by  reefs  of  rocks,  and 
the  lava  from  a  volcanic  mountain  had  poured 
down  towards  the  sea,  and  cooled  in  its  pas- 
sage, so  as  to  form  a  perfect  roof,  several  feet 
wide,  over  the  water.  Many  beautiful  birds 
were  hovering  round  this  isle,  and  several 
kinds  of  fishes  were  caught  upon  its  coast. 

As  the  frigates  were  passing  it,  an  alarm  of 
fire  was  given  from  L'Astrolobe,  and  a  cry 
that  the  ship  was  on  fire  was  heard  at  the 
other  vessel.  But  the  fire  was  soon  over.  It 
had  proceeded  from  a  box  of  acids  and  other 
chemical  fluids  taking  fire  spontaneously.  But 
the  box  was  cast  into  the  sea,  and  the  fire 
soon  over,  without  doing  any  damage. 

On  the  23d  of  January  the  frigates  arrived 
within  sight  of  Botany  Bay.  At  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning  of  the  26th,  they  dropped 
anchor  in  the  bay,    where  the   English  fleet 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  275 

lay,  with  their  colors  and  pennants  sporting 
in  the  air.  Captain  Hunter,  commander  of  a 
British  frigate,  sent  to  offer  La  Peyrouse  every 
thing  in  his  power  to  accommodate  him  during 
his  visit. 

A  sort  of  intrenchment  with  palisades  was 
formed  on  shore  to  protect  the  French  from 
the  mischievous  attacks  of  the  natives,  whose 
savage  nature  allowed  them  to  receive  their 
presents,  and  then  to  throw  spears  at  the 
giver. 

At  this  place  M.  De  Clonade  was  promoted 
to  the  command  of  L'Astrolobe,  in  place  of 
its  murdered  commander,  M.  De  L'Angle. 
But  his  season  as  commander  must  have  been 
short,  as  we  are  now  to  bring  our  interesting 
narrative  to  a  melancholy  close. 

It  was  the  intention  of  La  Peyrouse  to  sail 
from  Botany  Bay,  on  the  15th  of  March,  and 
to  reach  the  isle  of  France  in  December.     At 


276  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

this  station,  he  sealed  up  all  his  journals,  with 
letters,  and  transmitted  them  to  his  home ; 
and  these  were  the  last  papers  ever  received 
from  him  and  his  company. 

No  authentic  accounts  could  from  that  time 
be  obtained  of  the  illustrious  La  Peyrouse, 
and  every  thing  concurred  to  enforce  the 
belief  that  he  and  his  gallant  company  had 
perished  in  the  ocean;  till  in  the  year  1791, 
when  Captain  Bo  wen,  returning  from  Port 
Jackson  to  Bombay,  perceived  on  the  coast  of 
New  Georgia,  the  wreck  of  a  ship  afloat  upon 
the  waters. 

By  the  construction  of  the  wreck,  he  con- 
cluded the  ship  to  have  been  a  French  built 
one ;  and  as  no  ships  had  been  known  to  nav- 
igate these  seas,  except  those  of  La  Peyrouse, 
and  those  of  Bougainville,  those  of  the  latter 
not  having  been  missing,  he  thought  this  must 
have  belonged  to  La  Peyrouse. 


STORY  OF  LA  PETROUSE.  277 

Captain  Bowen  found  by  the  natives  on 
the  coast,  that  European  ships  had  touched 
there,  and  they  had  articles  of  glass  and  iron 
ware,  which  led  him  to  believe  that  La  Pey- 
rouse  and  his  unfortunate  companions  had  lost 
their  lives  near  this  place. 


278  STORY    OF    LA    PEYRQUSE. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Search  made  for  the  ships.      The  probable  place  where 
they  were  lost  discovered.      Concluding  remarks. 

The  interest  which  every  reader,  (especial- 
ly, every  American  one,)  of  the  foregoing 
pages,  must  feel  in  the  fate  of  the  noble  La 
Peyrouse  and  his  gallant  companions,  demands 
that  something  be  said  to  answer  the  question 
which  must  naturally  arise  in  the  mind,  whether 
no  vessels  were  sent  out  and  searches  made, 
to  discover  where  they  might  have  been  cast, 
and  with  what  catastrophe  their  voyage  was 
ended. 

In  the  same  year  in  which  Captain  Bowen 
had  seen  the  wreck,  1791,  the  French  govern- 
ment sent  out  M.  d'Entrecasteaux  on  an  ex- 
pedition of  research,  to  see  if  any  thing  could 
be  learned   respecting  the  lost  frigates  and 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  279 

their  men.  But  all  his  researches  proved  in 
vain,  and  he  returned,  leaving  every  thing 
concerning  them  in  as  much  uncertainty  and 
darkness,  as  before. 

In  1825,  the  French  Minister  of  the  Marine 
published  a  notice  of  a  report  given  by  an 
American  captain,  of  his  having  seen  in  pos- 
session of  some  of  the  natives  of  an  island 
between  Louisiade  and  New  Caladonia,  some 
medals  which  appeared  to  be  such  as  had  been 
in  the  ships  of  La  Pey rouse. 

In  consequence  of  this  report,  a  ship  from 
Toulon,  sent  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  was 
ordered  to  direct  her  course  in  the  tract  of  the 
island  whose  situation  had  been  given,  that 
some  clue  might  be  found,  if  possible,  to  the 
fate  of  La  Peyrouse. 

Other  information  was  also  gathered,  res- 
pecting the  wrecks  of  two  large  vessels,  on 
two  islands  of  the  New  Hebrides,  by  Captain 


280  STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

Dillon,  commander  of  an  English  vessel  at 
Tucopia,  on  his  passage  from  Valparaiso  to 
Pondicherry,  in  May,  1826. 

Captain  Dillon  was  afterwards  sent  back  to 
ascertain  the  truth  of  what  he  had  heard. 
The  information  he  gathered  amounted  to  the 
following  facts.  Two  ships,  supposed  to  be 
those  of  La  Peyrouse,  had  struck  on  a  reef  at 
Mallicolo.  One  of  them  immediately  went 
down,  and  all  the  men  on  board,  were  lost 
with  her,  in  the  deep. 

Some  of  the  crew  of  the  other  ship  perish- 
ed, also,  in  the  ocean.  Of  those  who  escaped 
a  watery  grave,  a  part  were  murdered  by  the 
natives  of  the  island.  The  others  built  a 
small  vessel,  from  what  had  been  washed  up 
from  the  mangled  ships. 

In  this  frail  bark,  they  had  committed  them- 
selves to  the  surface  of  the  boiling  deep  ;  but 
how  long  they  were  able  to  struggle  with  the 


STORY    OF    LA    PEYROUSE.  281 

billows,  or  how  soon  they  might  have  been 
swallowed  up  by  them,  has  ever  since  been 
unknown. 

Some  romantic  stories  have  recently  been 
told  and  written,  about  La  Peyrouse  and  some 
of  his  men  having  been  thrown  upon  a  certain 
island,  where  they  lived  a  long  time,  and  met 
with  many  adventures  :  but  these  are  all  fic- 
titious, and  wholly  groundless. 

If  any  thing  existed  in  truth,  or  probability, 
to  relieve  the  mind  of  the  melancholy  impres- 
sion caused  by  the  sad  termination  of  the 
interesting  voyage  on  which  we  have  been 
accompanying  our  adventurous  friends,  it 
should  certainly  be  given  to  the  reader. 

But,  as  a  devotee  to  the  truth,  I  am  con- 
strained, with  sorrow  to  say,  that  the  accounts 
here  given,  are  the  last  that  have  been  re- 
ceived, respecting  La  Peyrouse ;  and  they  will 
probably  remain  the  last,  until  the  ocean  shall 


23£  STOUT    OF    LA    PEYROUSE. 

be  called  to  render  up  her  dead,  and  all  that 
has  been  hidden  shall  be  revealed. 

Those  who  shall  prize  the  knowledge  they 
may  have  gained  from  this  little  narrative  of 
the  voyage  and  turn  it  to  its  right  account, 
will,  no  doubt,  cherish  with  fondness  and  ven- 
eration, the  memory  of  La  Peyrouse. 


END. 


